Генетические модификации: от мутаций до редактирования генома.

The term modifications in genetics refers to both naturally occurring and engineered changes in DNA. Incidental, or natural mutations occur through errors during replication and repair, either spontaneously or due to environmental stressors. Intentional modifications are done in a laboratory for various purposes, developing hardier seeds and plants, and increasingly to treat human disease. The use of gene editing technology remains controversial.

Modifications are changes in an individual's DNA due to incidental mutation or intentional genetic modification using various biotechnologies. Although confusion exists between the terms "modification" and "mutation" as they are often used interchangeably, modification differentiates itself from mutation because it acts as an umbrella term, encompassing both definitions of mutation and genetic engineering. Although heritability plays a large role in an individual's expression, like in cases of epigenetic modifications, not all instances of modification are heritable. No matter the origins of such variation at the genetic level, it clearly impacts the creation and interaction of proteins, changing cell function, phenotype, and organism function.

The dandelion: Most dandelions have long stems, but an increase in potential threats in their environment have caused average dandelion stem length to decrease within certain species, allowing them to better avoid said threats. This adaptation was possible due to a mutation occurring in a shorter stemmed individual being selected by environmental pressures. Because the shorter stemmed dandelions had higher fitness than long stemmed dandelions and were able to survive more often, the genetic frequency of the population was altered, genetically modified through the original occurrence of a mutation. However, when a person has this disease due to inheriting two mutated copies of the HBB gene due to a base pair point mutation, their red blood cells are shaped differently.

Alzheimer's disease: In a synthetic example in a laboratory, scientists isolated the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene, known for using Alzheimer's in humans, and transmitted it into the nerve cells of worms. Through the following steps, scientists are able to genetically engineer a medical product that millions of people rely on worldwide: The scientific community recommends continued evaluation of risks and benefits of utilizing genetically modified organisms in everyday life. Genetic modifications are studied by researchers under controlled conditions after they are inserted into an organism, allowing for improved scientific understanding of the effects of certain gene modifications and certain organism responses.

In April 2015, gene editing technology was used on human embryos and debate about the ethics of such actions persisted since. Nonetheless, scientists and policymakers are in agreement that public deliberations should decide the legality of germ line genome editing. Modifying a person's non heritable DNA with the goal of improving one's medical condition is generally accepted and has a plethora of ethical protocols monitoring such procedures. Regulations have been implemented for approval of genetically modified foods to reduce some uncertainty that remains in this field. The reasons in favor of development of genetically modified foods include to meet the demands of the exponentially growing human population, to substitute for the decrease in farmable land, and to address the decrease in genetic diversity which limits possible improvement of species. The biotechnology of genetic engineering provides the opportunity to achieve global food security by addressing these problems and positively impacting the food production economy. Environmental consequences are also considered due to disruptions within the food web when these organisms are added to a previously balanced ecosystem. As genetic modification is so fast, the environment may not be able to adapt and integrate the new organism into the ecosystem or it could have unwanted effects on its surroundings. Other impacts on the environment include unnatural gene flow, modification of soil and water chemistry, and reduction of species diversity.

Ethical considerations regarding gene editing are largely controversial within the scientific community due to its open ended implications for the rest of society. Although no consensus has been reached, there are plans in place to utilize the available resources to continue education, scientific research as well as research on ethical, legal, and social issues associated with genetic modification.