Potential Risks of Genetic Engineering on Human Race (Essay Sample)

Potential Risks of Genetic Engineering on Human Race
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Genetic Engineering: The Best Solution or a Potential Threat to the Human Race?
Genetic engineering is one of the recent technologies which have brought of a lot of controversy on their safety and sustainability. Though genetic engineering technology has proved to be a key solution in cases where conventional approaches seem to be practically impossible, the potential risks associated with it have remained to be an eminent issue among legislators, scientists and religious leaders. The search for cure of certain diseases using genetic engineering technology has proved to be a key challenge among scientists. For instance, despite the high optimism that Genetic engineering can facilitate successful xenotransplantation in the curing Type I diabetes, statistics have shown that only 5% of transplants done from the year 1995 to 2000 have been successful (Grey, 2000). Researchers have cases of gastrointestinal complications have been experienced to over 30% of transplants done to cure Type I diabetes in the USA. This clearly evidences that; genetic engineering may not be a potential opportunity, but rather a developing threat to human life.
Moreover, a study conducted by Donnellan (2004) indicated that genetic engineering can result into loss of biodiversity since genetically engineered organisms are able to escape and introduce newly modified genes into feral populations. In some cases, people undergoing genetic engineering therapies have died. This clearly implies that, biotechnology is one of the currently potential threats to the ecosystem today. In the light of the previous failures and associated dangers of genetic engineering on human beings, Grey (2000) suggests that genetic engineering is yet not a confirmed secure way of solving human problems. In the light of the drastic climatic changes, biotechnology seems to be quite useful in agricul...