Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering

Each volume of the Facts On File Library in a Book series is carefully designed to be a first-stop research source on important current issues. Written clearly and carefully so that even the most complex aspects of the topic are easily understandable, the books give the reader the essential information to begin work, plus the research tools needed to delve more deeply into the issue. Each book includes a history of the subject, biographical information on important figures in the field, a complete annotated bibliography, and a carefully designed index -- everything the researcher needs to get down to work. In April 2003, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium announced completion of the Human Genome Project, a decade-long effort to obtain the complete readout of some 3 billion "letters" worth of code containing all the inherited information that specifies the characteristics of a human being. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Revised Edition focuses on the social, legal, and ethical issues surrounding health and environmental safety; the patenting of living tissues, cells, and genes; DNA testing for identification in criminal cases; genetic testing for susceptibility to disease and the possibility of genetic discrimination in employment and insurance; and alteration of human genes. An indispensable reference source, this volume in the Library in a Book series examines the issues surrounding the changing role of genetic technology and how our society and lawmakers are attempting to deal with them.