Specialised "Human Breeding"
When man has determined the location of the genes for a particular human characteristic, humans could be "modified" to create desired types of humans to be exploited, for example, man with low intelligence and super strength.
Such a circumstance will probably stir up memories of the era of Nazi Germany, where humans were bred to maximize certain physiological traits. Attempts were made to exploit the use of science to create replicas of the "perfect" human. Clearly, if the advancement of cloning technology is not put to good use, history can unfortunately repeat itself.
For example, human clones could be exploited and modified to have the following characteristics.
| Modified For Menial Labour | Normal Human | Modified For Intelligence | |
| Strength | 200% | 100% (normal) | 10% |
| IQ | 10% | 100% (normal) | 200% |
In addition to modification of human characteristics, the cloning process can be used to eliminate zygotes that have "undesirable characteristics". Hence, the embryos used might be killed in the process.
Such circumstances call into question the dignity of sentient life forms. What gives us the right to determine whether someone should live or die just because it suits our needs? It is debatable that genetic engineering and cloning is for the greater good, but it does beg the question of “whose greater good is it for”?
Uncertainty Of Long-Term Effects
No long-term studies have been conducted to see how genetic engineering of food and "natural supplements" may affect humans. Hence, the humans of today are essentially acting as the laboratory rats for genetically engineered products. It is thus comparable to playing Russian roulette where human life is at stake.
For example, the L-tryptophan food supplement widely sold in America was marketed as a “natural tranquilizer" and sleeping pill. Unfortunately, the genetically modified bacteria used by the manufacturer to increase the concentration of the active ingredient was not purified during the manufacturing process. This caused the deaths of 37 people and disabled 1500 others before it was recalled. Hence, it is apparent that strict ethical controls are needed to ensure the safety of genetically engineered foods and health supplements.
Exploitation Of Technology For BioTerrorism
The genetic manipulation of viruses or bacteria may result in a genetic structure that is immune to all antibiotics and treatments.
Scientists in Australia have combined the non-lethal mousepox virus with the IL4 gene, which produces the interleukin protein.
The objective was to allow the mice infected with the modified mousepox virus to develop bolstered immune system that produced more antibodies.
Mice infected with the virus had a 100% mortality rate, and even those mice with a genetic resistance to the mousepox virus had a high mortality rate.
An antidote to the virus was only found in 2005, 4 years after the initial creation of the virus.
It is thus extremely worrying that genetically engineered organisms may not only fail to return the desired results, but also cause highly undesirable or disastrous results. With the omnipresent threat of terrorism looming over the 21st century, this opens up the possibility of a bioterrorist being able to create a deadly virus that has no cure and has a high mortality rate.
Q: Why do many people consider genetic engineering and cloning to be highly controversial topics?
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