[One Thousand Characters a Day] The Imagination of Genetic Engineering Becomes Reality <1>

Editor's NoteHow far have we come from the era when Mendel studied peas to explore the laws of heredity? Genetic engineering is transforming our lives in every field, including medicine, pharmaceuticals, food, and the environment. ＜The Imagination of Genetic Engineering Becomes Reality＞ is a guidebook that explains genetic engineering?something many have heard of but few truly understand?in an easy-to-understand way. By reading carefully about what DNA exactly is and how it was discovered, the principles behind gene recombination technology, and why PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is essential for genetic engineering research, readers will gain a clearer perspective on genetic engineering. Furthermore, it delves deeply into the past, present, and future of genetic engineering, as well as ethical debates arising from technological advancements, such as whether an era of universal cures through genetic engineering will come or if cloning humans would pose problems. The text contains 855 characters.

Heredity refers to the process by which living organisms, including humans, pass their traits (form and characteristics) from one generation to the next. Genetics is the scientific study of heredity and belongs to the fields of biology or life sciences.

What is the difference between genetics and genetic 'engineering'?

Genetics and genetic engineering share the commonality of dealing with hereditary phenomena. However, when the character '공 (gong)' meaning 'engineering' is included, it generally adds the concept of 'mass production.' In other words, genetic engineering is a discipline that deals with technologies that influence hereditary phenomena through methods such as gene recombination to mass-produce new organisms or substances. For example, instead of raising animals like dogs or pigs to extract insulin produced in their bodies for diabetes treatment, the human insulin gene is inserted into E. coli bacteria, which then mass-produce insulin.

While the term genetics strongly conveys academic curiosity about heredity itself, genetic engineering implies a discipline that seeks ways to obtain substances beneficial to humanity by utilizing hereditary phenomena or to improve human life processes by using proteins synthesized by genes, thereby enhancing human health and welfare. Historically, genetics developed first, but from the late 20th century, its advancement accelerated, and scholars began to move beyond academic curiosity to develop methods applying hereditary phenomena for human benefit. As a result, the concept and terminology of genetic engineering became widespread.

The first genetic engineering department in Korea was established at Korea University in 1983. Since then, departments with the same or similar names have been established at many universities nationwide. Currently, genetic engineering is studied and researched under various department names such as Biochemistry, Life Sciences, Genetic Engineering, and Molecular Life Sciences.

－Yebyeongil, ＜The Imagination of Genetic Engineering Becomes Reality＞, Gimyoungsa, 13,500 KRW