If advances in biotechnology lead to the creation of genetically engineered humans, will we be able to call them ‘human’? Ethical and social concerns and the future of humanity are explored.
We learned about genetically modified foods in middle and high school. Genetically modified foods are new foods that are created by removing genes that are disadvantages of the original food, such as corn, and adding genes that are beneficial to humans. These foods become a new species. What happens when we apply this kind of genetic manipulation to humans? We call it biotechnology. By using biotechnology, humans try to eliminate their disadvantages and emphasize their advantages. But would a human whose genes have been altered by biotechnology still be a human? If all humans on the planet were to be genetically altered by biotechnology, would the human race be considered extinct?
Biotechnology is the deliberate intervention of humans at the level of biology. It aims to modify an organism’s form, abilities, needs, wants, or desires. For example, humans have castrated bulls to make them more manageable, or transplanted bovine cartilage into the backs of mice to make them grow ears so that they can be transplanted into people without ears. One example of an event that has directly benefited humans is the genetic modification of E. coli. E. coli and several species of fungi have been genetically engineered to produce insulin, which has helped people with diabetes, making treatment much less expensive. As you can see, biotechnology is a beneficial discipline that has helped humanity in many ways.
Biotechnology is not only used for human convenience. Biotechnology can also recreate extinct animals, which means that humans are trying to become gods by recreating extinct creatures themselves and doing God’s work for him. An example of this is taking genes from the carcasses of mammoths, an extinct animal found in Siberia, and using them to recreate the extinct mammoth. They don’t stop at animals, but also try to recreate Neanderthals, the closest relatives of Homo sapiens, the humans who live on Earth today. Scientists hope to unlock the secrets of the brain by comparing the brain structure of the reincarnated Neanderthal with that of the current human population.
In this way, biotechnology can make endless advances using living things. So scientists thought that if genetic manipulation was applied directly to humans, humanity could become much more advanced, and people expect that biotechnology, together with genetic engineering, could improve human physiological functions, longevity, as well as emotional and intellectual abilities in a few decades. Our intelligence could be enhanced with genes from smart people, and our lifespan could be increased with genes from long-lived animals. But is this biotechnological enhancement of humanity necessarily a good thing? The movie “GATTACA” provides an answer. GATTACA shows us what we imagine. A baby is born with the genes that the parents want in the fertilization tube, and when the baby is born, the genes tell them how likely they are to become a criminal, how likely they are to have a heart attack, and so on. With this information, the movie shows people who are discriminated against. Humans who do not have superior genes are discriminated against. In reality, if biotechnology allows individuals to have superior genes if they want, people who do not have superior genes because they do not have money may be discriminated against, as shown in the movie. Also, people may think that if a life form disappears, it can be recreated again. Then we will forget the importance of life and treat it with disrespect.
As you can see, the use of biotechnology to manipulate genes can be both good and bad for humanity. So, as I mentioned at the beginning of this article, “Would genetically modified humans be the same species as humans currently living on Earth? If the genetically engineered humans have genes that are superior to the current humans, won’t the current humans become extinct through natural culling, and only the genetically engineered humans will survive and the current humans will become extinct?” However, this is not necessarily the end of the human race. Like all living things on Earth, we are evolving to adapt to nature, using our current knowledge and common sense to make our lives easier and to compete with other life forms.
However, advances in biotechnology do not always have positive consequences. It raises ethical issues and questions about the nature of life. If we use biotechnology to alter our genes and create a new species, will that species be the same human being we know? How will these altered humans relate to existing humanity? We need to think about how advances in biotechnology will affect human identity. It is also important to anticipate and prepare for the social and ethical issues that could arise from the misuse of biotechnology.
Furthermore, advances in biotechnology risk upsetting the natural order and balance of nature. Bringing extinct animals back to life can go against the natural cycle, which can lead to unexpected changes in ecosystems. When biotechnology is used to modify the nature of life, we must carefully consider the long-term effects and consequences. It is our responsibility to maintain the diversity of life and the balance of ecosystems.
Therefore, if we use and develop biotechnology with the right ethical perspective, we will be able to set the right direction for the development of the new humanity. Therefore, rather than just looking at the advantages of biotechnology and studying it blindly, I believe that studying the advantages and disadvantages of biotechnology from an ethical and engineering perspective is the most important process for Homo sapiens to become a new humanity. We need to think deeply and reflect on how the development of biotechnology will affect humans, nature, and future generations. Only by doing so can we ensure that biotechnology brings positive change to humanity and the planet.
