Genetic engineering should not be bannedGenetic engineering is a hotly debated topic. On the one hand, large multinationals, ambitious scientists and powerful politicians carry out projects that, according to them, will bring benefits to humanity, on the other, public opinion, environmentalists and consumer associations fear that these projects are not sufficiently protected and pose irreversible risks to humanity. life on this planet. In this article I will outline the main issues in the genetic engineering debate. I will first summarize the history of genetic science and examine the origins of the debate. Next I will discuss the manipulation of plant, animal and human genes and consider the possible benefits and dangers of each. Finally, I will suggest that, despite all the potential dangers, it is better for research to proceed openly than for governments to try to ban such research altogether. GE is a fairly recent science. DNA, the basic material that determines genes, was discovered in 1953 (the discovery was announced in the journal Nature on April 25, 1953) and "It was not until 1956... that cytogeneticists learned that each human cell contains 46 chromosomes." (Lipkin and Rowley, p.4). “Recombinant DNA” – which makes it possible to actually change or modify genes – was only discovered in 1973 (Howard and Rifkin, p. 13). However, the GE debate goes back much further. It was first popularized by Aldous Huxley in his novel Brave New World (1932), in which humans are born in bottles ("test tube babies") and genetically conditioned to think and behave in certain ways. When GE became a scientific reality in the 1970s, the debate continued to focus largely on the mainulation of human groups. Bibliography Published sources: Howard, T. and Rifkin, J., Who Should Play God? : The Artificial Creation of Life and What It Means for the Future of the Human Race (New York, Delacorte Press, 1977)Karp, L.E., Genetic Engineering, Threat or Promise? (Chicago, Nelson-Hall, 1976). Lipkin, M. and Rowley, P.T., Eds., Genetic Responsibility: On Choosing Our Children's Genes, (New York, Plenum Press, 1974) Paoletti, R.A., Ed., Selected Readings: Genetic Engineering and Bioethics, (New York , MSS Information Corp, 1972) Internet Sources: Dr. B. Benoit, 'Human Cloning and Re-engineering': http://cac.psu.edu/~gsg109/qs/emclone.html'Food for Our Future' ( UK Food and Drink Federation website: http://www .foodfuture.org.uk/index2.htm Home Arts children's personalities webpage: http://homearts.com/rb/mommy/11cperb4.htm