Genetic Analysis : Genetic Diagnosis

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a form of genetic testing. It is similar to the screening of abnormal chromosome count only used to test for genetic diseases. The fertility institutes have used this to take gender selection to the next level. Stating that this has a greater than 99,9% success rate.

PGD is known as pre-implantation genetic diagnosing. I do not think it is ethical to design and conceive a child that meets specific genetic requirements. I do not feel that this is an ethical reason to conceive a child. Rather, I believe all children should be seen as blessings or gifts, not sacrificial genetic progeny.

Pre-Implantation genetic screening is a technology used to accumulated genetic information of any chromosomal diseases that might be present in an embryos was produced Via vitro fertilization1. The PGD technology allows parents with a history of an inherited chromosomal illness to overcome any potential genetic diseases that their fertilized embryos might carry. This technology provides an access for doctors to treat

For this reason PGD is mostly used when the parents carry genes for genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia. The first “designer babies” PGD babies were created in 1989 and born in 1990. The two families were at risk of passing a severe form of mental retardation. Since that gene was only found in males PGD was used to make sure the couples each had a girl healthy normal baby girls. One of the first cases of PGD being used for gender selection was when Monique and Scott Collins visited Genetics & IVF Institute in Fairfax, Virginia in 1996 wanting a daughter as their first two children were boys. Their decision to choose the sex of their child opened another world of issues regarding the selection of traits like hair and eye color, height and other aspects not usually related to the health of the baby (Ly, Sarah “Ethics of Designer Babies”) Society questions under what conditions should PGD be used and what impact will it have on the gene pool and the way we view our offspring. In 1994 a statement was released by the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs supporting genetic selection as a means to cure, prevent or specify diseases but selection of benign characteristics was unethical. (Ly, Sarah; Ethics of Designer Babies). In the near future with the advancement of biotechnology and genome modification will be possible to with TALENs used technology and the discovery of the CRISPR genomes and Cas9 (Sample, Ian. "GM

It is done before the the embryo is transferred to the uterus, and it’s usually for couples with high risk of conceiving a child with a specific disease or disorder. While I see the benefits of this, I see where it could go wrong. Couples may use this as a chance to determine their baby’s characteristics. I think that it should be used only for the high risk couples because if they know that their baby could possibly have a difficult and shortened life, like Menkes syndrome, then they shouldn’t have to go through the pain of losing a child. PGD might be used in the future by a lot more people to predetermine their child’s characteristics to fit their preference. For example, many deaf people believe that their deafness is not a defect, they embrace it and love it and believes that it is a different cultural. Many parents who are deaf may want their child to be deaf as well and experience the “enriching” aspects of not being able to hear. While I respect this, I strongly believe it’s not their place to do this because, as doctors believe, they are robbing a person of one of their senses. You never know how a person’s personality will be and they might not appreciate the same things as their parents or other people around

Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is the screening technique used to identify if genetic or chromosomal defects are present in embryos created through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) before pregnancy. PGD is for couples whose offspring are at risk of being effected by severe genetic disorders.

Most people in our world desire to have healthy families of their own. Most people want their legacy to be carried on. Most people want to experience the joys of having a ‘normal’ child. But some couples do not have the privilege of bearing a healthy child, let alone a bearing a child at all. This is where pre implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) comes in.

PGD is the genetic testing of known single gene diseases and mutations. Some inherited conditions that are tested for include haemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and a non-inherited condition is trisomy 21. PGD is a socio-scientific issue because it has biological and social implications. It is also an issue which people have different opinions and views for and against its use.

acceptable? Should it be publicly funded? Is it acceptable to select embryos? Is it fair to discard unwanted embryos? There are government guidelines for the use of PGD in New Zealand. Clinics that offer PGD have to be approved by the Government’s Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology. Some PGD uses require approval on a case by case basis. Some uses of PGD are banned eg. Sex selection or genetically altering embryos (‘designer babies’). This technology is also not allowed to be used to select for embryos with a particular genetic impairment. For example, if a parent wanted their child to have the same genetic condition as them. Ethics approval is not needed for single gene, sex-linked and chromosomal disorders but it is required for tissue typing. It cannot be used for sex selection because of social reasons. There are ethical objections which make the extension of PGD controversial. One objection arises around the need to create and select embryos, with the deselected embryos usually discarded, while other objections concern the selection itself. There are many people who are against the use of PGD due to their view of the embryo or fetus as a person and will object destroying embryos. Using PGD for preventing genetic diseases can be seen as a benefit to many people. The differing viewpoints of this topic explain why the use of PGD is a socio-scientific issue.

PGD may be desirable to couples for many reasons, some of which being if they have had prevous miscarriages – that are linked to a genetic condition, if they already have a child whome has a genetic condition, or of there is family history of a specific genetic condition.

It can also be used to test for Tay-Sachs Disease, Fragile-X Mental Retardation, Cystic Fibrosis, Down Syndrome and Spinal Muscular Atrophy. In the past couples who wanted to have childr en, and were carriers of inherited diseases, worried about the possibility of their children inheriting the disease. Parents will no longer have this worry. In 1989, an English couple became the first to use PGD [Grady,1995]. It was used because they were at risk of passing along a form of severe mental retardation. Because it only affected sons, PGD was used to ensure that the couple had a daughter.

IVF is known as in vitro fertilisation. This procedure is done by removing an egg from a female, and a sperm cell from the male and combining the egg and sperm in a test tube. These two then form together and create a zygote, which then begins separating into and forming an embryo . Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). It is known as the pre testing of pre-implanted embryos for genetic disorders. This operation has been put into place for couples whose offspring will potentially have a risk of inheriting a genetic disorder from the parents . PGD tests for many disorders that can affect the unborn embryo/baby. Some of the diseases that can be scanned for are recessive sex-linked disorders, dominant sex-linked disorders, and single gene disorders. The recessive sex-linked disorders can include Haemophilia, fragile –X syndrome, Spinal Muscular atrophy, and Myotonic Dystrophy. Other disorders that can be inherited are the dominant sex-linked disorders which can consist of Rhett Syndrome, incontinentia pigmenti, and pseudohypererparathyroidis. Some of the single gene disorders that can also be inherited include cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease, Tay-sachs, and sickle cell anaemia. It is said that in New Zealand alone there is a 1 in 4 chance of inheriting the disorder, and is most likely to occur with advanced maternal age, recurrent miscarriages and chromosome abnormalities . Some of the women that can benefit from PGD, are

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a technology which allows genetic testing of an embryo prior to implantation and before pregnancy occurs. It is used in conjunction with IVF and allows only those embryos diagnosed as being free of a specific genetic disorder to be transferred into a woman for pregnancy.

Photosynthesis is an important process to living organisms because eliminates Carbon Dioxide and releases Oxygen by the use of a plant. Pigments are color molecules the absorb lights in different color wavelengths of light. The light that the pigments absorb turns into energy (Glucose) in the photosynthesis process. They are different types of pigments like Carotenoids, Anthocyans, Xanthophyll, and Chlorophyll which is the major light absorbing pigment in plants. The more pigments the more food for plants to eat. The pigments absorb energy from different color wavelengths and reflect another like plants which give the color green. The importance of light and pigments don’t only play important role in photosynthesis they also are important to maintain life.

Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (or PGD as it is more commonly called) is majorly used to test for 2 things; specifically known genetic conditions, and chromosomal abnormality. Ultimately it allows only normal cells, which are cells unaffected by the disorder it is testing for, to be selected and used for the IVF process. PGD is popularly used as it maximizes the chance of having a healthy baby which is a big health concern of potential future parents (Vitrus Health, 2016).