Hollywood has been showing it to us for years. Frankenstein, The Six
Million Dollar Man, Jurassic Park, etc.; the list goes on. All these movies show
man's instinct to create. This fiction of playing God in recent years is
In 1952, deoxyribonucleic acid was discovered(Dewitt, 1994). The spiral
staircase molecule, DNA. DNA is the building block of life. This block holds
the code for every aspect of any life on the planet Earth. DNA decides whether
one life will be a plant or rhinoceros. DNA also carries the information that
tells how smart, creative, bossy, shy, athletic, or any other description you
can think of. The secret code of DNA would prove to be invaluable. This is
the reason the Human Genome Project has been started. Scientist around the world
are using super computers to crack the code. This 15 year project is predicted
to end by the year 2005(Dewitt, 1994). That is only 10 years from now. What does
Well, today we already live with genetically engineered items. The FDA
has approved bioengineered tomatoes that ripen without rotting(Dewitt, 1994).
Entire herds of cattle are now being injected with a growth hormone(BST) so that
they will produce more milk than ordinary cattle(Dewitt, 1994). Also drought
resistance grass that needs no moving.
Scientists will soon be able to collect DNA from endangered species.
This DNA could be used to clone more condors, bald eagle, mountain gorillas, and
many other animals. Totally extinct animals may be recreated as well, i.e.
Jurassic Park. Imagine having your own dodo bird or pet triceratops.
Many types of diseases will be cured. Just take out the gene that giving
you the problem. Pure panacea. As soon as a baby is born his or hers parents
will know everything about him or her. If they will be artistic. Will she get
breast cancer? Will he be tall or short? Is he a genius. Ten
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