Pros And Cons Of Gene Editing

Gene editing can be beneficial to humans, but it should not be pursued as it can also lead to defects. Gene editing is modifying DNA within a cell. If a cellś genetic makeup is altered, it can lead to many changes in the characteristics of the cell and potentially start a ¨butterfly effect¨. As science is continuously evolving, new technologies and techniques are becoming developed. However it does not eliminate the risk factors.

Some may wonder, what is gene editing capable of doing? According to Pam Belluck, gene editing may able to stop illnesses from being passed down generations. ¨Repairing the responsible mutations in theory could eradicate these diseases from the germline. No future family member would inherit them.¨ Many families have illnesses such as sickle cell anemia, Alzheimerś, cystic fibrosis, cancers, and other conditions being passed down. Gene editing can do both good and harm. It can reduce the chances of illness being inherited. However this technique can also cause new mutations to come. As said by Robin Lovell-Badge, “You might be able to do it with something like eye color¨. There can be a chance that the baby is born blind.
However mutations still occurred. The piano player was born with 12 fingers. The main character, Vincent was born naturally and had poor vision, cardiovascular issues, and a short life expectancy. Vincent's brother, Anton, was born without any issues. The other main character, Jerome, had good genes, but was paralyzed from an accident that occurred from a suicide attempt. Vincent's dream was to work at Gattaca, in the space department, but he couldn't get the training because he was considered an “invalid”. Jerome agrees to give Vincent some of his DNA so that Vincent can use his identity to get into the job. The DNA that Jerome gave were urine, hair, and blood samples so that Vincent can change his genetic