The purely social and political dangers of genetic engineering include the possibility of increased economic inequality accompanied by an increase in human suffering, and the possibility of large-scale eugenic programmes and totalitarian control over human lives.

What Are the Disadvantages of Genetic Engineering?

• The nutritional value of foods can be less.
• Pathogens adapt to the new genetic profiles.
• There can be negative side effects that are unexpected.
• The amount of diversity developed can be less favorable.
• Copyrighted genetic engineering can have costly consequences.

The possible benefits of genetic engineering include:

• More nutritious food.
• Tastier food.
• Disease- and drought-resistant plants that require fewer environmental resources (such as water and fertilizer)
• Less use of pesticides.
• Increased supply of food with reduced cost and longer shelf life.
• Faster growing plants and animals.

Genetic disorders are not curable but can only be prevented. Genetic disorder is one of several cause of infant mortality. In fact, 20% of the infant mortality in developed countries is due to genetic disorders. Genes are very powerful when it comes to birth of a child.

Many genetic disorders result from gene changes that are present in essentially every cell in the body. As a result, these disorders often affect many body systems, and most cannot be cured. However, approaches may be available to treat or manage some of the associated signs and symptoms.

Having a low sperm count decreases the odds that one of your sperm will fertilize your partner’s egg, resulting in pregnancy. Nonetheless, many men who have a low sperm count are still able to father a child.

The quality of a man’s semen also seems to play a role. “Poor sperm quality can be the cause [of miscarriage] in about 6% of couples,” says Dr. Gavin Sacks, an obstetrician and researcher with IVF Australia. But there are probably multiple factors that, together, result in a lost pregnancy, he adds.

Can an abnormally shaped sperm fertilize an egg? Yes, it can. However, having higher amounts of abnormally shaped sperm has been associated with infertility in some studies. Usually, higher numbers of abnormally shaped sperm are associated with other irregularities of the semen such as low sperm count or motility.

Normally, semen is a thick, whitish liquid. However, several conditions can change the color and consistency of semen. Watery semen can be a sign of low sperm count, indicating possible fertility problems. Ejaculating thin, clear semen may also be a temporary condition with no serious health concerns.

Signs of Potential Infertility in Men

1. Changes in hair growth.
2. Changes in sexual desire.
3. Pain, lump, or swelling in the testicles.
4. Problems with erections and ejaculation.
5. Small, firm testicles.

Reasons to ban germline gene editing include the profound risks to future children, thin medical justifications, reinforcing existing inequalities and creating new forms of discrimination, eroding public trust in responsible science, and undermining global agreements.

With the advent of genetic engineering, scientists can now change the way genomes are constructed to terminate certain diseases that occur as a result of genetic mutation [1]. Today genetic engineering is used in fighting problems such as cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and several other diseases.

Gene therapy holds promise for treating a wide range of diseases, such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, diabetes, hemophilia and AIDS. Researchers are still studying how and when to use gene therapy. Currently, in the United States, gene therapy is available only as part of a clinical trial.

Genetic Inequality: Human Genetic Engineering. As genetics allows us to turn the tide on human disease, it’s also granting the power to engineer desirable traits into humans. What limits should we create as this technology develops? Genes influence health and disease, as well as human traits and behavior.

Some benefits of genetic engineering in agriculture are increased crop yields, reduced costs for food or drug production, reduced need for pesticides, enhanced nutrient composition and food quality, resistance to pests and disease, greater food security, and medical benefits to the world’s growing population.

GMOs can help crops and plants by enhancing nutritional content of food or even helping crops fight drought and insects. Drought resistance. GM crops that express drought resistance can grow in much drier areas, conserving water and other environmental resources. Herbicide tolerance.

The pros of GMO crops are that they may contain more nutrients, are grown with fewer pesticides, and are usually cheaper than their non-GMO counterparts. The cons of GMO foods are that they may cause allergic reactions because of their altered DNA and they may increase antibiotic resistance.

Why we are against GMOs

• Biodiversity. Where they are grown, GM crops occupy large surface areas and are linked to intensive monoculture systems that wipe out other crop and ecosystems.
• Toxic Crops, Toxic Land.
• Corporate Control.
• Threat to Small-Scale Farmers.
• Food Culture.
• Hunger.

Perceived disadvantages of genetically modified crops may be grouped into five categories: 1) potential impact on non-target species; 2) potential for increased weediness; 3) increase in toxin levels in the soil; 4) exchange of genetic material between the transgenic crop and related plant species; and 5) selection for …

The results of most studies with GM foods indicate that they may cause some common toxic effects such as hepatic, pancreatic, renal, or reproductive effects and may alter the hematological, biochemical, and immunologic parameters.

Many GMO crops are used to make ingredients that Americans eat such as cornstarch, corn syrup, corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, or granulated sugar. A few fresh fruits and vegetables are available in GMO varieties, including potatoes, summer squash, apples, and papayas.

Top 10 GMO-Filled Foods to Avoid

• Canned Soup. Although you may enjoy it when you are sick or on a chilly winter day, most pre-made soups contain GMOs.
• Corn. In 2011, nearly 88 percent of corn grown in the U.S. is genetically modified.
• Soy.
• Canola Oil.
• Papayas.
• Yellow Squash/Zucchinis.
• Meat.
• Milk.

Top 10 Most Common GMO Foods

• Soy. Up to 90% of soybeans in the market have been genetically modified to be naturally resistant to an herbicide called, Round Up.
• Corn. Half of the US farms growing corn to sell to the conglomerate, Monsanto, are growing GMO corn.
• Canola oil.
• Cotton.
• Milk.
• Sugar.
• Aspartame.
• Zucchini.

Biofortification increases the nutritional value in crops. Golden rice is genetically modified in order to produce beta carotene, which is not normally produced in rice. Beta carotene is convereted into Vitamin A when metabolized by the human body.

Soy is the most common genetically modified crop in this country, and can be found in many forms: whole soy beans, oil, and soy lecithin, to name a few. For more hidden names for soy products, check out this soy allergy fact sheet.

GMOs Tackle World Hunger Modified crops that can benefit developing countries include C4 Rice, which is being funded by the Gates Foundation. Rice naturally photosynthesizes through the C3 pathway, which is less efficient than the C4 pathway utilized primarily by grass crops such as maize and sugarcane.

The most common GMO crops were developed to address the needs of farmers, but in turn they can help foods become more accessible and affordable for consumers. Some GMO crops were developed specifically to benefit consumers. GMO apples that do not brown when cut are now available for sale and may help reduce food waste.

Unfortunately, GM foods are not the cure-all to hunger the world needs. The path to eradicating global hunger is more complex than any one solution and is in fact far more complex than only addressing food quantity or quality.

GM is a technology that involves inserting DNA into the genome of an organism. To produce a GM plant, new DNA is transferred into plant cells. Usually, the cells are then grown in tissue culture where they develop into plants. The seeds produced by these plants will inherit the new DNA.