The need for genetic engineering springs from the human desire to continually enhance what is already there. It is in our nature to strive for a better standard of life. We see many examples of how genetic egineering can do this through agriculture, medicine, industry and environment.

Medical
One of the many breakthroughs in genetic engineering is gene therapy. Basically this technology works by identifying the gene that causes illnesses. This can be either be caused by a lack of the specific gene or be because the gene itself is dysfunctional. For example, A virus makes more copies of itself by injecting their own genes into the cells that they infect. In viotherapy, a virus is injected with genes which are needed by the patient. The harmful genes in the virus are removed so that they do not cause disease. The virus is inserted into the human, so that the gene can be injected into the body cells through the virus. This proves to be very beneficial to people with certain conditions, and it is also a technology that is used with cancer patients.

Another technology which has proved to be a great medical advantage is the use of bacteria to create protein medicines. Some examples of such medicines include hemoglobin, insulin and nerve growth factors.

Agriculture
The reason agriculture became an important area of study for geneticists was for the following reasons:
    - attempt to grow them in conditions not grown before
    - reduce/eliminate use of chemicals
    - increase production
    - reduce spoilage of waste

Resisting Insects:
This greatly reduces the need for insecticides, which although effective are also harmful to both the environment and to people. It is the hopes of researchers that plants will be able to come up with their own built in insecticides. Geneticist Abhays Dndekar in the University of California successfully engineered walnut and apple trees to build a resistance against coddling-moth larva. These worms eventually lodge into the apple and walnut trees and therefore cause them damage.

Resisting Diseases:
The goal of this is to saves money in food production and reduce spoilage. Increased production ensures that there will be enough food provided for the population
Protection from Viral Damage:
Scientists have managed to come up with "cross-protection". This process involves the extraction of a viral gene and putting it into plant cells. The genetically altered plant will then express a piece of virus. Researchers found out that this technique greatly reduced viral infections. Basically, it is similar to "vaccinating" the plant against the virus.

Environment
Genetic engineering makes use of living systems to convert harmful substances in our environment to non-toxic ones. It works on the principle of using genes and enzymes which let bacteria break down toxic chemicals. These microbes usually degrade the toxins into some harmless substances like carbon dioxide. The oil eating bacteria was one of the earliest attemtps to do this. It proved to be a success when it cleaned up the oil spill from Exxon Valdez in Alaska, 1984.

Genetic engineering is not all about benefits. There is always the fear that the knowledge will be abused by the profit motives of business corporations. Ethical responsibility is ignored and it is the the general public that will suffer. There is in fact a theory written by molecular biologist, Lee Silver. He describes the world being made up of 2 distinct classes in the future: Gen Rich and the Naturals. Gen Rich would make up about 10% of society. They have enhanced genes and are technically the "rulers" of society. The naturals are the majority - people who don't possess superhuman genes.

Another topic that is usually brought up in the argument against genetic engineering is eugenics. Probably most well known for it's role played prior to World War II. Adolf Hitler and his Nazis took this same concept of upgrading the "human stock". They took it to the extreme when they declared that "imperfect" humans should be purged completely out of their existence. Even now, so many years after the incident, society still cringes whenever the issue of eugenics is brought up by researchers.

Finally there are just some who view this technology as nothing more then tampering with the natural order. Human intervention to produce life that would otherwise be unlikely be conceived in nature is quite simply not natural. Letting researchers having knowledge of the human blueprint has it's risks. It arouses issues which question the opinions and morals of people worldwide.

To what extent should the manipulation of genes go? Where does one draw the line in cloning? With so many conflicting sides apparent in this particular technology, it is often hard to discern what is truly right and wrong. Whatever the case, one cannot deny that it is important to understand and give careful consideration to the many facets of genetic engineering.