Key Purpose: The purpose of this article is to alert people of the growing controversy and potential of "designer babies."
Key Ideas:
- Controversy has started in England about genetic testing for unborn babies
- These tests will be able to calculate the risk of early infancy disease and also adult disease possibilities in the child
- This certain baby girl was tested for the BRCA-1 gene: breast cancer gene
- Scientists and people in London have claimed this to be unethical because scientist are designing babies
- The same technology is being used in in vitro fertilization; scientists will inject embryos without any mutations that will allow for disease
- The procedure costs $50,000 dollars; many people will not be able to afford it
Key Conclusion:
After reading this article, I am stuck. I felt that the genetic testing would be able to help many people. But after I analyzed both sides, I feel that this could become a problem. The only reasons we are here, and the only reason we are different from primates is because of heritable variation and mutations. By removing the possibility to mutate, we are somewhat removing our possibility to grow and change as a species. Cancer is a definite threat, but I think that nature keeps everything in check and by majorly altering humans, we can cause problems. I think that many things need to be researched and decided before scientists start to alter babies to keep them healthy. I would like to see where this goes, but I fear that this may become dangerous.
Godlasky, Anne. "Embryo Screening Fuels Debate in Britain - USATODAY.com." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. Web. 15 May 2010. .
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