Ethics and genetics

Kim is in the lab focusing hard. What are they experimenting with this time? I’m trying to figure out how I can get superpowers! Maybe I could use gene technology to change my genes? Gene technology can’t give humans superpowers, but it is an incredible tool.

To some extent, humans have been using gene technology for thousands of years by selectively breeding plants and animals with desired traits. But over the last century we’ve discovered a lot more about genes and what they do. And we’ve developed techniques that allow us to modify genes for our benefit! For instance, scientists transferred the genes necessary to make insulin from human cells to some bacteria. And those modified bacteria are now used to produce insulin.

It’s a great source of important medication, for people who cannot produce enough insulin naturally. But although gene technology helps us cure diseases, there are debates about how right or wrong — how ethical – gene technology is. Is it right to modify genes? Why wouldn’t it be? Well, one reason is that we simply don’t know the long-term consequences of gene technology.

Genes play such an important part in making us who we are — and many people think that gene technology goes against nature; that it gives humans too much power. Having ‘better’ genes might seem like a good idea, but it might lead to problems. In the past, some people used knowledge gathered through genetic studies to discriminate against others. With the goal of creating a “superior” population with “better” genes, sadly only some people were allowed to reproduce but not others. Many were also killed, because their genes weren’t supposedly “good enough”.

Today, we know more about genes, how they are passed on through generations and how populations work. But does that give us the right to decide to change genes or populations? What about genetic testing? Recently it’s become popular to send a sample of your genetic material — usually saliva — to a company that analyses it. This analysis can tell you where your ancestors were from.

It can also tell you how likely you are to develop disease related to or caused by genes. This sounds very interesting, doesn’t it? It could help you learn about your personal history, and decide what’s best for your health! But it can also be very scary to learn that you are likely to get a serious illness — or that you might pass the gene for that illness to your children. And there are other ethical concerns, too.

Some people worry that genetic testing might lead to someone being discriminated against based on their genes. For example, it might be more difficult for people with certain genes to get health insurance. Doctors can also use genetic testing to determine whether a child will be born with an illness or develop one later in life. So what should parents do with that information? Should they choose to keep the child, or not?

These are just some of the difficult questions related to genetic testing. Gene technology and genetic testing clearly have advantages, but there are risks involved. To make ethical decisions, we need to consider all the different arguments. I don’t think I’ll be getting superpowers anytime soon... But you’ve got superpowers already!

You’re so clever and can invent anything! And you’re the best friend I could ever ask for. Thanks Philip! I think you’ve got superpowers too — you always know how to make me feel better.