Danielle Silva
Professor M. MacKnight
WRT 104
13 April 2011
Genetic Engineering
In 1976, the first genetically engineered mice were created. They were used test the preciseness of genetic engineering to eventually further test on humans. Scientists wanted to test to see if they could manipulate the offspring of mice to change their characteristics to the benefit of the mice. In doing so, this would make the mice more adapted to living a better and more efficient life. Even crops are being genetically engineered to make sure that the best plants are being produced for the sellers and the consumers. Ever since then, scientists have been diligently working towards creating designer babies and preventing disease. Parents are creating designer babies to form the “perfect child”. In doing so, eventually parents will be able to choose the child’s hair color, eye color, skin tone, and body image. Although scientific advancements in the future will allow for genetic engineering of embryos, the technology should only be used to prevent life changing diseases.
“Genetic engineering is the direct human manipulation of an organism’s genetic material in a way that does not occur under natural conditions” (Ren). This process alters the genes in the species being made to make it more sustainable towards a better life. As of right now, scientists are not one hundred percent positive how to make the magic of genetic engineering work on humans. It is a process they are diligently working on. The process of genetic engineering “…involves using recombinant nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) techniques to form new combinations of heritable genetic material followed by the incorporation of that material either indirectly through a vector system or directly through micro-injection, macro-injection and micro-encapsulation techniques” (Ren).
When most humans hear of the idea of genetic engineering in their own species, it seems appealing. However, when looked more deeply into, one can see the harms in this. “As the face of science is being permanently altered by such changes, so is our moral understanding and awareness. When the words “gene therapy” first entered our daily vocabulary, most Americans applauded to its novelty, ingenuity, and potential for medical research. However, as one realizes the deep social and ethical consequences, the concept of “super humans” scare them. The possibility of creating a new breed of humans with “better genes” is not something that the public has prepared for” (Ren 1). There are some positive attributes that will come along with genetic engineering in humans. In doing so, genetic engineering will allow doctors to get rid of genes in humans that cause harmful diseases in which shortens a humans life. “If the full benefits of gene therapy are ever realized, we can replace the dud genes with correctly functioning copies” (Ren 1). In a way this will make the world and country of the United States a safer, healthier, and more enjoyable place to live.
There are some circumstances where genetic engineering in humans may be beneficial to an individual along with the family. An article written by ABC news journalist, Fernaz Javid discussed a young girl who has suffered from an extremely rare disease called Diamond Blackfan anemia, which is when an individual cannot rid of extra red blood cells. The young girl only had a few options to choose from to endure her future. However, none of them were easy to choose. Her brother, unfortunately, was not an exact match and the doctor explained a way for the parents to produce a child with the right match to keep their daughter alive. If this genetic process could indeed be made, the lives of those who suffer can be ended. This example simply goes to show how far science has truly come. However, it could eventually and potentially back fire and make the country and world completely different than it is now.
The groups of people who choose to believe that eugenics will help the country are almost thinking in the ways of the Nazi system in the 1930’s during the Holocaust. They are choosing the types of humans to come into this world based on looks and being genetically superior. Also, the method, preimplantation genetic diagnosis or “PDG”, has the primary function for screening unborn children for genetic diseases. Although the technology is not quite guaranteed at this point in time, the technology will soon be readily available in the future.
Eventually, if these genetically engineering devices and procedures work on human beings, society may run into a few problems. Marcy Darnovsky, the associate executive director at the Center for Genetics and Society stated, “If we’re going to produce children who are claimed to be superior because of their particular genes, we risk introducing new sources of discrimination” (Naik 2). Individuals who are blessed with being overly financially supported will have the ability to produce a baby that everyone would desire. On the other hand, inferior humans will be pointed out as those who were unable to convey a “designer baby”.
Along with producing the perfect child in terms of looks, the screening for obesity could also be available in the future. With no laws to hold back this ever-advancing technology, the possibilities of creating a parent’s perfect child are endless. Transhumanist author, James Hughes stated, “If nobody gets hurt and everybody has access, then genetic modification is perfectly fine, and restricting it is an assault on reproductive freedom” (Keim 1). However, there are some serious issues that come along with what some people think of this as greatness. The average cost of an in-vitro treatment is about $12,000, and adding preimplantation diagnosis onto that cost will increase the total another $3,000 (“How much does PGD Cost?”). This idea will put a damper on those who are unable to afford the cost of producing a “designer baby”. Soon enough, there will be a clear distinction between the rich and the poor. In addition to that, the world will be unable to have a balance of classes. “Secondly, you’re going to have the rich using these technologies, and that’s going to advantage them further. It’s not going to be something the poor get to do. Lastly, you’ve got a problem here, why are doctors in the business at all? ‘I have to serve my patients,’ but is this just a cash business where you’d say, you know, ‘I want a child with short arms. I want a kid with athletic ability.’ Is everything and anything for sale at the fertility clinic?” (“Designer Babies: Ethical?”). By separating social classes, this will eventually separate those who are physically stable from those with “disease”. In this furthers, those who are left with obesity, will be pointed out as those with disease and those who are unable to afford this process.
Besides choosing to make ones “designer baby” without “disease” or obesity, one can also choose the gender. With a certain process, the gender of this child can be chosen by the individual’s caretakers. This process, which is more readily available to the public, is less involved than picking out physical features or preventing life-altering illnesses, yet it still corrupts the natural process of life. “A woman is given medicine so that she would produce many eggs. Once the eggs are mature, these eggs are collected. The eggs are then fertilized in the in vitro fertilization lab. On the third day, these embryos are biopsied to determine their sex. The normal embryo with the desired sex is then transferred into the uterus. The other embryos are typically thrown away” (Liao 3). In some individual’s minds, this process seems to be a perfect solution to the process of making their “perfect family”. In the United States, this may not cause many issues; however in other countries around the world, gender choices would be very appealing. Countries in the east, such as China, would prefer to choose the male race over the woman race when producing a child. “In China, where the male to female ratio has increased in recent years from 1.05 to close to 1.20; and a similar situation exists in South Korea where the male to female ratio at birth grew from 1.07 in 1982 to 1.15 in 1991” (“Sex Preselection: an Aid to Couples or a Threat to Humanity?”). If genetic engineering eventually plays out, countries such as China will be over populated with males. At the time, this may seem extremely appealing to those individuals, however as time goes on all families will want to produce males and eventually there will be no female offspring. This will then lead to an under population because females are not being produced and therefore the over populating males will be unable to find spouses to produce children with. Eventually, not only will this lead to a population problem in China but it will lead to a population problem around the world.
In addition to the negative upbringings that may come along with genetic engineering, the process is extremely unnatural. The deliberation alteration of life goes directly against the natural selection of genes. “Altering a baby’s genetic traits and manipulating our own nature, in this view, demeans the uniqueness if each individual and thus undermines our humanity. Ethnics contend that genetic engineering devalues the meaning of parenthood, where children become merely consumer goods and properties of their parents” (Red 3). Genetic engineering will not allow the world to be the unique and cultured place that it is today. Eventually, everyone will be led to having the “perfect” child and soon there may be too much perfectness and not enough order. “Whether the child succeeds in life is not wholly determined by his or her own efforts, but rather from parental decisions made prior to birth. The child might no longer accept responsibility for the things they do. As a parent, to acknowledge the unique qualities and the giftedness of life Id to accept their children as they are” (Ren). By allowing parents to choose how they want their children to be, they are not accepting who they are. Nature has designed the process of making life to exactly the way it should happen. If the world is not lived naturally, it may not be able to make the steps to make the world as efficient and long lasting as it should be.
Genetic engineering has made huge steps in advancing the technology of it in the last two decades. However, science goes beyond the acceptable limits in this situation. At some point, the process of this will go too far. Eventually the process will allow humans to determine the embryos athletic, artistic, and learning ability. The science of genetic engineering should solely be used to screen for diseases, and this is not the case at all. It is going to cause society more problems than it is ready to deal with. Although the science could potentially have its benefits in preventing disease and cancer, that is all it should be used for. Scientists should not further studies in allowing humans to genetically create what in his or her eyes, the “perfect” human.
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