10.8 Ethical Issues

. Ethical Issues Biotechnology has given to the society cheap drugs, better friuts and vegetables, pest resistant crops, indigenious cure to diseases and lot of controversy. This is mainly because the major part of the modern biotechnology deals with genetic manipulations. People fear that these genetic manipulations may lead to unknown consequences. The major apprehension of recombinant DNA technology is that unique microorganisms either inadvertently XII Std Zoology Chapter XII Std Zoology Chapter Applications of Biotechnology or deliberately for the purpose of war may be developed that could cause epidemics or environmental catastrophies. Although many are concerned about the possible risk of genetic engineering, the risks are in fact slight and the potential benefits are substantial.