The Benefits of the Genetically Modified Egg

The Benefits of the Genetically Modified Egg

November 12, 2012

SBI3U-20

Katie Martin

The Benefits of the Genetically Modified Egg

November 12, 2012

SBI3U-20

Katie Martin

In today’s society genetically modified organisms are not something unheard of, everything from glowing cats, to longer lasting tomatoes. At the Rosalind Institute in Edinburgh British scientists have developed a hen that has the capability to lay cancer-fighting eggs. The gene that was modified was the main producer of ovalbumin, the main component of egg whites; it was modified so it would also produce medicinal qualities, there would be about 15 to 50 micrograms of medicinal ingredients per milliliter of egg white. They injected a fertilized embryo with a human gene made for preventing diseases, then looked for a male with the gene in his sperm and bred it with an average hen that would then produce the medicinal eggs. The eggs are not currently being sold, and are still being tested, but if they were to be sold, I believe that it would be for the benefit to society for several reasons; it could help health care professionals, farmers who grow the chickens, the government and lastly the general public.

First, I believe it would benefit health care professionals because they would to have to spend less time prescribing medications to patients if they can simply go to the store and pick up some eggs that have medicinal properties that can help them to get better, all they would have to do would be find out what is wrong with the patient, and tell them to go out and purchase the egg, it would save them time from having to go through their brains and come up with a treatment. It would also help health care professionals because they could likely sell the eggs in their practices to make more money, which could be a benefit to not just the health care professionals, but their patients as well, because they could purchase more technology to help make medical discoveries in their...