Explaining Artificial Selection and Genetic Engineering

What is artificial selection? There are many forms, but the basic idea is when humans pick members of a population with favorable genetic traits and breed them to make offspring with these favorable traits. These favorable traits could be taste, color, texture, etc. Most of the species that are artificially selected are domesticated species that were once wild. This can be proved because, though there are hundreds of breeds of dog, they are all capable of interbreeding which shows that they are of the same species. Another example of artificial selection is if we wanted a pear with a darker color, we could cross the traits of a red apple and the pear. Over many generations, we will be able to see the result, which is a darker pear.

Artificial selection helps us because it allows us to create cows that yield more milk, more productive crops, and even pest and disease resistant crops. However, employing the methods of traditional crossbreeding is slow and tedious. That is why scientists have developed genetic engineering to have faster results. Genetic engineering allows scientists to isolate, modify, multiply, and recombine genes of various organisms together to get the best of all worlds. This is used to combine genes of organisms that would never breed naturally. We can even put the genes of a bird into a tomato. That is the extent of our scientific progression. The result of genetic engineering is the genetically modified organism or GMO. Not only is there the advantage of faster results, genetic engineering takes far less money to accomplish than traditional crossbreeding does. Scientists have also been able to successfully clone an animal, which is creating a genetically identical organism.

Finally, there is a technique employed by scientists called biopharming that uses genetically engineered animals as factories for drugs, vaccines, antibodies, hormones, and even human organs. Though the field of bioengineering has very tangible benefits for us, there are many bioethics concerns regarding the issue. Many believe that genes and genetic material should not be tampered with, a classic example of "man playing God." However, proponents argue that vaccines and cures to many of the world's seemingly incurable diseases can be found within genetic engineering. However, one positive thing that the controversy has brought to the issue is better understanding of genetic engineering in general for the public.