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The advances in genetic engineering have opened up many possibilities, possibilities to do good and to harm. The potential for biological warfare is increased by these advances in technology and even the things that we consider good at the present, like the transgenic sheep that produce antitrypsin, may harm our world in the future, by breaking the chain in natural evolution.

I for one do not know what the future will bring, but do know that it will be quite influenced by genetic engineering, because at the moment, breakthroughs are being accomplished faster than the ethics of using this technology can be set, and the outcome could be detrimental.

One thing to consider >> ..

..is that it has already been used in plants and animals. One example for plants is diseases and herbicide resistance in crops the benefit being clearly that the crops will be more successful and cheaper to produce, not requiring pesticides; and for animals, the transgenic sheep that secrets the protein antitrypsin in its milk (which it makes through its human' gene) the benefit for this being that antitrypsin can help people that do not have a working copy of the gene manufacturing it, and therefore have lung problems.

For crops, possible negative points are that the pests and bacteria will become stronger, and find a way to fight or avoid the plants' resistance. For animals, there are a few more negative points. Failure will occur many times before the goal is reached, so what will happen to the animals that came out wrong'; also, an unbalance of the species an of the natural evolution is created by genetically modifying animals, and who knows where this will end (this also applies to plants).

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