Do Now Babies – My Opinion

Today I will be writing a short blog post on my opinion about KQED’s #DoNowBabies. The original post made by KQED can be found here.

Found here

This do now discusses the new law passed in England that allows for “three-person babies,” which means that there can be an egg donor, a sperm donor and a donor for mitochondrial DNA, if the mother’s mitochondrial is defective and will result in an impaired or unhealthy baby. The do now addresses the morality of “three-peson babies” and DNA modification in general, whether it be to prevent health issues or for more cosmetic and less necessary reasons. The little blurb on the page discusses both opinions on the issue, those for DNA modification and those against it, providing insight for both sides.

Found here

I personally believe that mitochondrial DNA modification is morally acceptable and should be used if it prevents a disease in the child and if it extends their life. As long as the DNA modification is being done for health benefits, NOT cosmetic benefits, then I believe it should be allowed. The whole point of medicine is to extend their lifespan, and by modifying the embryos DNA, their life would, hopefully, be extended.

Found here

DNA modification is part of the future, and whether it includes three parent babies or altering the nuclear DNA to prevent a disease, it is going to be part of society. We as people of the community, and as people of science, need to make sure modifications are moral, for the benefit of others and accessible to everybody. There need to be rules and regulations to prevent the abuse of DNA modification and potential use for cosmetic gain, as opposed to health benefits. “Designer babies” and picking and choosing traits should be prevented, as, in my opinion, they are greatly immoral. However, these drawbacks to DNA modification do not outweigh the benefits, which could result in many more lives being saved. Genetic alteration and DNA manipulation are part of our society now, we just need to learn how to handle the power and responsibility.

 

Thank you for reading my opinion on Do Now Babies and make sure to check out my other posts!

 

 

 

Cracking the Code of Life: Reflection

sHello again! Today I will be talking about and reflecting on the documentary “Cracking the Cod of Life” on PBS that discusses the Human Genome Project, its effects and the issues that surround it.

Source: PBS

The documentary mainly discusses the Human Genome Project (HGP), the process of completing the project, how it could help genetics and determining disease and other various effects. The documentary did a very good job explaining what the project was, in simple terms, what its goals are and what the main “players” are, for example DNA, genes, and proteins. It provides scientifically accurate information in a simple manner, which I thought was great.

Simple diagram of the relationship between DNA and genes
Source: deskarati

The documentary also discusses genetic disorders and issues that are caused by faulty genes and what the HGP will be able to do to help identify what genes cause what disease.  By using examples of diseases like cystic fibrosis and Tay Sach’s disease, I was able to better understand how one mutation in one letter in one gene can affect people’s lives greatly and how this project can help fix this problem.

Difference between healthy CF gene and mutated CF gene.
Source: genome.gov

The groups and people who actually researched and completed the HGP are discussed, like Celera. Celera is the outside company who worked on the HGP that forced the government, or public, program to move faster. Private businesses and the pros and cons of them in the science industry were discussed and I personally think some involvement is good, but companies should not be able to patent genes because it prevents others from possibly researching and finding a cure to a disease in that gene.

 

Finally, the documentary discussed ethics associated with genes, gene alteration, medical privacy and more. The HGP and learning more information about genes could eventually lead to tests being created to identify whether you have a certain gene for a disease and possibly even influence how your child will look, though the latter is unlikely. I personally think parents should not be able to alter their child’s DNA to make them look a certain way, for a disease I see the benefit, however changing a child’s appearance is not in the natural order of things. The knowledge we will have must be used wisely, as with any amount of knowledge, the power can be abused and alter the way life should be and the natural order of things.

Source: hawaii.edu

After watching this documentary, I greatly appreciate the work scientists did for the Human Genome Project, it is a great step forward in science that will help us understand all other parts of human life. Though this knowledge could lead down a society altering road, I believe that the benefits will outweigh the negative possibilities. Finding, identifying and eventually coming up with a cure to a genetic disease is a possibility now due to the HGP, and that could change many people’s lives. Science and discovery such as the Human Genome Project are vital to furthering our understanding of humans and life. I would strongly recommend to watch this movie if you are interested in science, genetics or just want to know more about why genetics is so important. Thanks for reading!