Dna Changed Life
Discuss three instances of how our knowledge of DNA has changed life in our day. Give one positive and one negative application of that knowledge and defend your answer.
According to Kenneth Saladin, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is “a long threadlike molecule with a uniform diameter of 2mm, although its length varies greatly from the smallest to the largest chromosomes.” What does this mean? Basically, it is a long string that contains a person’s genetic information. DNA has been studied overtime and it has changed life today with major impacts. These impacts are both positive and negative. One positive impact of DNA is paternity testing. Paternity testing is a test that can be performed whether by a blood sample or a mouth
swab to compare the DNA of two people. “Paternity” is derived from “paternal,” meaning father, so this test would be performed between a child and a male to determine if this male is the child’s father. Typically, this brings to thought the overdramatic talk shows such as Jerry Springer or Maury, but the use of this testing is beneficial. It can aid in the legal case of child support. DNA testing can also be used to determine a connection to other relatives, and adopted children searching for their birth parents can also look to DNA testing. Comparably, forensic analysis is another benefit of DNA. Again, referring back to television, who does not enjoy curling up to watch CSI, Criminal Minds, or Law and Order SVU? The typically end with catching the bad guy by linking them to the crime scene some way, shape, or form, and it is usually by DNA. This may seem like a television drama, however, forensic science is an actual profession and DNA found at crime scene can point to a liable party or set an innocent party free. This is another positive impact of the knowledge of DNA. However, though the current knowledge of DNA has positive impacts, there is a questionable impact, which leans more toward being negative. Genetic engineering is defined by through Google’s search engine as, “the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material.” Some people may find genetic engineering beneficial to try modifying one’s genes to prevent disease or abnormalities of an organism; however, it can be misused. People may want to create the “perfect” child and genetically engineer, for example causing their child to have blue eyes and blonde hair. This nearly causes the same debate as abortion and a child’s rights.
Sources:
Saladin, K. (2012). Anatomy & physiology the unity of form and function. (6 ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
According to Kenneth Saladin, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is “a long threadlike molecule with a uniform diameter of 2mm, although its length varies greatly from the smallest to the largest chromosomes.” What does this mean? Basically, it is a long string that contains a person’s genetic information. DNA has been studied overtime and it has changed life today with major impacts. These impacts are both positive and negative. One positive impact of DNA is paternity testing. Paternity testing is a test that can be performed whether by a blood sample or a mouth
swab to compare the DNA of two people. “Paternity” is derived from “paternal,” meaning father, so this test would be performed between a child and a male to determine if this male is the child’s father. Typically, this brings to thought the overdramatic talk shows such as Jerry Springer or Maury, but the use of this testing is beneficial. It can aid in the legal case of child support. DNA testing can also be used to determine a connection to other relatives, and adopted children searching for their birth parents can also look to DNA testing. Comparably, forensic analysis is another benefit of DNA. Again, referring back to television, who does not enjoy curling up to watch CSI, Criminal Minds, or Law and Order SVU? The typically end with catching the bad guy by linking them to the crime scene some way, shape, or form, and it is usually by DNA. This may seem like a television drama, however, forensic science is an actual profession and DNA found at crime scene can point to a liable party or set an innocent party free. This is another positive impact of the knowledge of DNA. However, though the current knowledge of DNA has positive impacts, there is a questionable impact, which leans more toward being negative. Genetic engineering is defined by through Google’s search engine as, “the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material.” Some people may find genetic engineering beneficial to try modifying one’s genes to prevent disease or abnormalities of an organism; however, it can be misused. People may want to create the “perfect” child and genetically engineer, for example causing their child to have blue eyes and blonde hair. This nearly causes the same debate as abortion and a child’s rights.
Sources:
Saladin, K. (2012). Anatomy & physiology the unity of form and function. (6 ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.