Every living organism consists of cells: from bacteria to higher mammals. Higher organisms are made up of organs, organs are made up of tissues, tissues are made up of cells. All the properties of any organism are determined by its genome, which is located in the cell (in any of the cells of this organism).
According to some reports, the genome of common flies and humans coincide by three quarters. There is nothing surprising in this. The basis of genes - deoxyribonucleic acid - DNA - carries all the information about the construction of all proteins and biochemistry of a given organism, and apparently, not so much is assigned to the “appearance”, size and weight of an instance of a biological species . In short, Darwin is absolutely right, and evolution at a certain nodal stage connects both a fly and a person. And this does not contradict religion in any way, since it only affirms the fact of the creation of life by God, but does not regulate the technology itself.
Genetic and cellular engineering (this is one concept) deals with the relationship between the structure of DNA and the hereditary properties of organisms. Of course, she is armed with such methods, which earlier, for example, during the time of Mendel, did not dare to dream of.
The method of cell engineering is at the present stage that specialists receive DNA fragments of various organisms and embed them in the DNA of the organism selected as the object of study. This method, in the language of scientists who adore special terms, is called expression of recombinant DNA. Restriction enzymes, special bacterial enzymes capable of cleaving DNA, are taken as an instrument. They are called figuratively - biological knives.
Having received the desired gene (transgene) assembled from the mentioned fragments, they integrate it into a DNA molecule called a vector and transfer it to the cell, where it replicates (multiplies) on its own or after association with the “native” chromosome. There are great difficulties with the equipment, since the material must be introduced into the microscopic cell forcibly, but without violating its integrity. There are many very sophisticated methods for this, since this cannot be done in natural ways. Of course, there is no mysticism here, just evolution did not provide for anything like this, on the contrary, it put a bunch of obstacles in the framework of natural selection.
The goal that cell engineering has in itself: to obtain medicines, to develop high-quality cultivated plant varieties, to create new breeds of animals, and as the highest point - to rid our civilization of all diseases. Those who argue (I do not want to call them obscurantists) should keep in mind that synthetic insulin alone saved and saves millions of diabetics and prolongs their life for decades!
Concerns about genetic engineering originate from its birth in 1972, when a group of P. Berg (USA) synthesized the first recombinant DNA from the oncogenic virus of monkeys SV40 and E. coli. The last is E. coli, without which a person cannot live. And the virus that causes cancer is built into it. Scientists were literally scared, and did not even continue to work at that moment. There has come a long period of putting research under the strictest state control, comparable to control over work on nuclear weapons.
Fortunately, the complexity and cost of biological gene work is comparable in complexity and cost to atomic research, and therefore not affordable for potential terrorists.
In reality, cell engineering is a double-edged sword - it can give a person as many years of life as he wants, but it can also sow terrible misfortunes for all living things. Do not argue, the opposite is not proven, and the "price of the issue" is known. It all depends on who has clean or dirty hands in cellular engineering. And for objective reasons, it can neither be prohibited nor pushed forward. The development of science is subject to its internal laws.