Embryo's With The Disease Genes example essay topic

Introduction: years ahead when we decide to start having children, we may be able to pick them out! weather it be their hair color, eye color or even how athletic they are. People are using genetic engineering which is defined as: a method of manipulating human DNA of cells to change heredity traits or to stop cancers that can spread. (1) For medical reasons in unborn children and pregnant woman. The doctors take the embryo's with the disease genes out.

Then they use gene therapies to repair the genes or take them out all together adn replaces genes where the others had genetic disorders. The doctors can test for these genes in human eggs, or in early stage embryo's. They take care of the genes that carry deathly diseases. This protects against Hemophilia, Tay-Sachs, anemia and alzheimers, certain types of cancer, leukemia, Cystic fibrosis, down syndrome.

Almost any time of problem someone could have they could prevent if the parents of the unborn child have the money for these test and procedures. For instance a woman who is pregnant has a cancer that will 90% likely be spread to her unborn child before giving birth, they could change the genes and replace the disease causing ones and the baby will not be affected by this type of cancer. although the cost is very high, its usually about $2,500 a test but then there is also a $7,500 fee for the vitro fertilization of the embryo. Vitro i fertilization is the process of implanting the embryo with modifications. This process is also called human germline engineering, which basically means altering reproductive genes, changing and using chosen ones.

Years down the road, a couple will go into a fertility clinic not because they have problems with becoming pregnant but because they want to alter something with their child they plan to have. The doctors fertilize the womans egg with the mans sperm, then they will inject a artifical chromosome that tells the embryo that has the disease carrying gene to self-destruct, therefore resulting in a life long with out that problem. Also promising that he will not carry that gene to his children when the time comes. (2) Couples my also want the genetic engineering due to the fact that their other child needs bone marrow, this way the child that is next to be born in a for sure match to the childs that in need.

These procedures could help in the death rate of very young children and help many people of having a short lived life and suffering. Helping a child before it even has to go through something so terrible such as Tay-Sachs disease when they normally die at painful death by the age of 5. But people are not only wanting to use genetic engineering for medical reasons, they want to use them for other reasons. Such as the sex of their baby. they may want to have a boy because they want to leave something to them such as a family business.

They may want a girl because they have all boys. Another reason they will also have this procedure, is so that they can choose the physical appearance of the child. They can then choose the color of the childs hair, eye color. Also they can help with the childs other physical attractions such as clear skin, not obese, muscular, and very athletic. Ethically the causes problems among many americans they see this as playing god. And messing with things that shouldnt be tampered with.

Conclusion: this causes much controversy among americans with the changing of the way god gives lifes.

Bibliography

1) The Columbia Encyclopedia. Sixth edition- 2001 (2) NEWSWEEK November 9, 1998, By: Sharon Begley NCR online "Designer Babies, anyone?" by Pamela Schaffer web Reason Online - March 6, 2002 "Hooray for Designer Babies!" By: Ronald Baily web The Age ~ April 23, 2002 "Designer Babies? Dont leave it to the bureaucrats to decide" web BBC News- Febuary 23, 2002 "Ethic fears raised over 'designer baby' " web The Washington Monthly Online- March 2000 "Designer babies" By: Shannon Brownlee web The Technology Review- Febuary 2003 "choosing our childs genetic future " By: Erika Jonietz web Time magazine- January 11, 1999 "Designer Babies, parents can now pick kids sex and screen for genetic illness.
will someday they select for brains and beauty too?" By: Michael D. Lemon ick EBSCO host Christian Science Monitor date- 8-19-1999 vol.