The Pros and Cons of Gene Alteration Essay

A designer baby is the word used to describe the act of genetically modifying the genes of babies. They can also screen embryos for any disorders and could even been uses for modification of characteristics such as gender eye colour and even intelligence. Advanced technologies have allowed doctors to be able to screen embryos for any genetic disorders to enable them to select healthy embryos.

Humans have been able to genetically modify crops, food, and animals over the years with many regulations. Now, they are able to genetically select/modify babies with the rapidly advancing technology that is available. Until recently, parents did not have the option to choose how their child will look and the many genetic features that their child must have. Genetically modified babies (GMB) are commonly referred to as designer babies. Designer babies’ genetic makeup is “selected in order to eradicate a particular defect or to ensure that a particular gene is present” (Catalano, 2012). Although the purpose for genetically modifying the fetus is to eradicate diseases many nowadays use it to alter physical genes such as eye color and hair color which is an abuse of the technology. This has caused a debates regarding whether or not GMBs are ethical and if the United

According to Suter, gathering information and being informed about the health of your child before the child is born is a very responsible decision. Families can benefit from this technology and make decisions in light or whether or not to continue the pregnancy depending on the values that they may have. (925-27). Most parents who choose this approach are making these wise decisions based off of their current circumstances. Using whatever techniques are available to help prevent certain genetic diseases will protect children from suffering debilitating diseases and deformities and reduce the financial and emotional strain on the parents. If we want the best for our children, why shouldn’t we use the

It’s not just the child’s appearance which is known, the existence of diseases and life threatening illnesses can be identified and removed before implantation back into the womb. This is greatly beneficial in eliminating these conditions altogether, as these cause so much trauma for the sufferer and their family. I have no issue whatsoever with the use of this technology for life saving medical purposes, as having first hand experience of the devastating effects that illness can have on loved ones. However on the flip side, I was absolutely shocked to read about a procedure known as “negative enhancement” which is the deliberate selection of certain conditions and diseases in rare circumstances where the parents are sufferers and wish their child to get the condition. Advocates of this argue that this would be beneficial to the child for example if the parents are both deaf they could have a deaf child who will fit in with their environment. A survey conducted by the Genetics and Public Policy Centre at Johns Hopkins University found that 3% of PGD or IVF clinics in the U.S have carried out this procedure although no single clinic could be pinpointed highlighting the legal grey areas surrounding this.

The controversial topic of genetically modified babies has been a popular argument for americans. By changing the DNA of the kid is extremely risky, this would change the baby's future generations to come. Genetically modifying babies is acceptable when the babies life is in danger and the only way to prevent the disorder or disease is to change its DNA, it's unethical when you change the baby's DNA for the sole purpose of having the babies outward appearance be more appealing.

PGD, or pre-implantation genetic diagnosis uses IVF, in vitro fertilisation (fertilization of an egg in a laboratory dish or test tube) , to screen and scan embryos for any potential birth defects or conditions, such as Huntington’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis or Downs Syndrome. PGD gives parents the options of being able to have healthy children, without the fear that they could inherit one of these many genetic conditions.

According to BBC News, the discussion about genetically engineering embryos should begin. With the increased technology that has been introduced in the past couple of years, changing a fetus’s genes and creating “designer babies” could become a possibility for parents (Gallagher 1). When these breakthroughs were published, there was an immediate uproar about whether changing one’s baby’s genes is ethical. The events that have led to this technology, and the technology itself, are intriguing to many genetic scientists around the world.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a method used to screen for genetic abnormalities and genetic defects in embryos, that were created through invitro fertilization (IVF). “IVF is the process of fertilization by extracting eggs, retrieving a sperm sample, and then manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish”. By using PGD, families with a risk of having a child with a serious genetic disorder can screen the embryo prior to implantation, to identify if the child presents genetic defects that can cause certain diseases or disorders. These genetic diseases or disorders occur due to one of more parents carrying the genetic abnormality. Screening can include counting chromosomes and/or a examination of molecules for a specific mutation or aneuploidy. PGD is a socio-scientific issue, due to the decision on whether to terminate the embryo if

Since scientists and doctors nearly mastered the procedure, ethicists are concerned that curiosity may result in further customizations of physical features of an embryo or, the new "liberal" eugenics. For example, some parents may be open to the option of changing their child's eye color, natural physical skills, hair color, and number of fingers. However, this is nearly impossible to do since authors of scholarly journals, articles, and periodicals that supported my claim proved otherwise since restrictions of human genome research is prominent by governments where this research is aloud. Therefore, this warrant supports my claim the eugenics won't reemerge from human genome modification since the government has existing regulations to prevent and punish any experiments leading to the horrifying acts of eugenics. As I mentioned above, since this life saving research was conducted on embryos, researchers have found new ways eliminate existing mutations and diseases. For example, if an embryo developed a blood disorder, the scientist would be able to prevent the soon-to-be infant from premature death or passing it on to its offsprings in the future. The sources that were used in my annotated bibliography are all primary examples of the unlikely emergence

A designer baby is “a baby whose genetic make-up has been selected in order to eradicate a particular defect, or to ensure that a particular gene is present,” (“Designer Baby,” OED). The most common method is Vitro fertilization the “joining of a women's egg and a man's sperm in a laboratory dish.”(Stork 1)It is one of the most common procedures although complex to us for treating fertility or genetic problems. There are more procedures such as the CRISPR technology that is going under research to “precisely [change] parts of genetic codes” (Zolfagharitord, Gray, and Spengler 1). The procedures involves parents selecting the gene for there’s children is

Being able to prevent the disease will stop the sequence from forming in future generations. In some cases, inherited diseases only run in specific genders; geneticists can help end the cycle. Sandel, 2004, stated, “[e]veryone would welcome a gene therapy to alleviate muscular dystrophy and to reverse debilitating muscle loss that comes with old age. But what if the same therapy were used to improve athletic performance” (p. 2). The possibility to control muscular dystrophy and stop muscle loss for the elderly is tolerable, but improving athletic performance for the fetus’s future without their consent is immoral. Before testing to rid of diseases, “the evidence in a complete computer simulation would have to show that genetically modifying a certain part of the genome could indeed save lives” (Notaro, 2012, p. 2). Parents need to consider the moral aspect of modifying their children before taking

Scientists today are developing ways to edit the DNA of human embryos. Although people think the positives out shine the negatives when enhancing an embryos health chances, that is not always the case socially when the child is born. Parents create this picture in their mind of the perfect child that they want when they find out they are pregnant, this child most often times has eyes as blue as the sky, blonde hair like sand at the beach, and a smile that lights up the world like the sun. A dad wants a son to play football, but the son wants to do theatre; a mom wants a daughter who does pageants, but the daughter wants to be a boxer. When these details start developing in a couples ' mind they can get selfish. Parents can develop a child to have the characteristics they want them to have; however, that does not mean that is who the child will be. The children in these cases do not have a say in what they should have, they are not even created yet. Parents can be eager and obsessed with a child who has the best features and capability to do whatever it is the parents wants them to do. The spread of what citizens are calling "designer babies" should have limits to what guardians can choose to improve health chances is a right choice but enhancing all a child 's characteristics is all wrong.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a procedure that tests early-stage human embryos for genetic defects. Its main use is to test for heritable genetic disorders and chromosomal abnormalities, and it may be used to find embryos that are a tissue match for siblings who are living with certain genetic conditions. To undergo PGD, an embryo is created via in vitro fertilisation (IVF), the process by which fusion of an egg and sperm occurs in a laboratory culture dish.

People who are planning a pregnancy generally strive to give birth to a healthy child that is free of notable handicap. To achieve such an end, preimplantation genetic diagnosis is sometimes offered to the minority of persons who have in vitro fertilization. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a technique used to test for certain genetic abnormalities in embryos produced by in vitro fertilization prior to implantation in the uterus. The screening for genetic defects occurs at the six to ten cell stage of embryonic development. Using polymerase chain reaction, the cellular DNA is tested for chromosomal abnormalities or genetic mutations. The embryos found to have serious genetic disorders are either discarded or frozen indefinitely. The

Reproductive technology is one of the most revolutionary developments in the medical field today. One of the newest and most advanced developments in modern medicine is in vitro fertilization (IVF). In vitro fertilization is a reproductive technology in which an egg and sperm are combined in a petri dish and then transferred to a woman’s uterus. This technique is widely used for parents struggling with infertility. This advancement in technology has created the possibility for what scientists are calling, “designer babies”. A designer baby is a fetus with genes that may be chosen by parents to prevent genetically-transmitted diseases, select the gender of the baby, and most controversially, to choose various physical and mental characteristics such as eye color, hair color, intelligence, and athletic and musical abilities. Although there may be some benefits to being able to genetically modify a child by eliminating diseases, this technique raises many ethical and medical issues. Bioethicists, geneticists and others have suggested that genetically modifying babies may cause miscarriage, other potential dangers such as an increase in class divisions in society, and have unknown effects on other gene characteristics if one gene is altered. Other problems raised include societal issues such as sex discrimination and discrimination favoring designer babies over non-designer babies. I propose that parents should not be allowed to alter and choose a fetus’s genetics except