...that makes the world of life go 'round.One of the greatest breakthroughs in medical science as been recombinant DNA technology. Among other things, it has allowed us to produce human insulin and various "biotech" medications and tests that have given us a great advantage in our study and treatment of chronic disease (it's been pretty useful in acute disease as well).
Products of recombinant DNA technology, in which desirable genes are inserted into the target genome via viral or bacterial transmission, are NOT "artificial". They are essentially hybrids. The history of life itself rests on hybridization. Genetic engineering started 10,000 years ago with the emergence of agriculture; that process is not more nor less "natural" than recombinant engineering. Sexual reproduction itself is recombinant DNA technology.
So don't let the scientifically illiterate scare you--look it up for yourself and make your own decisions. Genetic modification is by and large a positive adaptation!
Something really interesting about recominant DNA is that it is the source of biotechnology. Through biotech we are able to engineer many plants that are immune to certain diseases and can even glow in the dark!
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