Ooplasmic Transformation Technology

Superior Essays
Technology has come a long way in the last couple of decades. Technology went from horse drawn carriages to cars that park themselves. From sending letters that took days, weeks, even months to deliver to iPhones that can send and receive messages in seconds, no matter where the person is located on the globe. Technology is a wonderful thing that has helped in many ways, but recently technology has taken on a whole new spectrum. Not only can people communicate from all around the globe, but they will soon be able to genetically modify their unborn children. “Sci-fi novels and films, like Gattaca, no longer have a monopoly on genetically engineered humans. Real research scripts about editing the human genome are now appearing in scientific …show more content…
“Scientists at St. Barnabas Hospital in New Jersey announced that they had created genetically modified babies with a technique called ooplasmic transfer” (Cussins, 2014). Ooplasmic transfer is used in science all over the world and is mainly for woman that have eggs, but cannot have children. “Ooplasmic transfer involved injecting part of a fertile woman 's egg "white" into an infertile woman 's egg” (Cussins, 2014). With the use of Ooplasmic transfer these woman are able to have children. Also, with the use of the transfer they were able to genetically modify the child’s DNA. Although, there is an effect to changing the DNA. They not only changed the genetic code of these children, but their children, and many generations to come. Even though the scientist at St. Barnabas Hospital were close to a breakthrough “the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stopped the practice because there was no pre-clinical data about its safety, and because several fetuses created with the technique showed genetic anomalies” (Cussins, 2014). Genetically modifying children can lead to overall problems. Like stated before, this practice is not yet perfect and can cause abnormalities in the fetus. Another thing is that this practice can only be tried on humans. It will not be the same for animals because they do not have the same intelligence and superiority as humans do. So, scientists will not see the full effect of the change. It is also difficult to go in and change things like traits to make the child more musically enhanced, more intelligent, etc. because these things are not made up of only one gene, but hundreds, even thousands of them. So, it is very easy for a scientist to slipup. An ethical appeal for this argument is that Scientists in china have been working on genetically engineering embryos, but they have not yet fully succeeded. After many tests they tested

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In “Genetically Modified Humans? No Thanks,” Richard Hayes argues against Ronald M. Green, a professor of Emeritus of Religion and of Ethics and Human Values at Dartmouth College, specifically responding to his essay about using genetic technology to change children’s DNA. Hayes, who holds a Ph.D. in Energy and Resource, which saluted the United States to ban human cloning worldwide, believes it would disrupt human nature and the human future. As he states, “granted, new human technologies have real potential to help prevent or cure many terrible diseases, and I support research directed towards that end. But these same technologies also have potential for real harm” (Hayes 245). Hayes wants not only medical students and scientists to read the article but also the international community and parents interested in having…

    • 961 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    One controversial topic that provokes debate is genetic modification. In the essay “Proposed Treatment to Fix Genetic Diseases Raises Ethical issues” the author Rob Stein explains the process of genetic engineering and suggests a solution. The government is debating if the should let scientists “make changes in some of the genetic material” in the egg so the baby will not have certain genes. The main goal is to “help women deliver healthy, normal children.” There are some risks with this process such as birth defects. The downfall to this technology is the fear that “designer babies” will be created. Scientist have the innovative technology to change the genetic makeup of a baby, it is hard to trust that they will not take advantage of this…

    • 369 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In a study titled “Public and Scientists’ Views on Science and Society,” by Pew Research Center, eighty three percent of people thought that genetic modification for babies to make the baby more intelligent was inappropriate and that it was taking medical advances way to far. (Figure 2) However, people were split on the topic of genetic modification to remove diseases. The importance of this information is that it underlines that a majority of people are not okay with genetically enhancing traits in a baby as it would give it an advantage in the world that many others would not have. The information also allows us to see that genetic modification to remove diseases is something might be favorable and not looked down upon by society. While enhancing traits such as intellect and physicality may be a detriment to society, removing diseases that pre borns can develop sounds enticing as it would help them lead a life worry free of getting sick from things like cancer or Alzheimer’s or any unfavorable form of…

    • 1645 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Upon the completion of mapping the human genome in 2003, a whole new side of genetic understanding had opened up; better understanding of genetic diseases, how genes affect personality, and with that, the genetic altering of babies. This new concept of “designer babies” has caused great controversy and many of its harmful effects have gone unrecognized. This form of genetic altering research should not be continued because designer babies create more adverse effects on society than it benefits. They negatively impact our society by causing social segregation, increasing mortality, and by creating detrimental physical and psychological effects on the baby.…

    • 1452 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Listening for the Public Voice, by Robert Cook-Deegan and Jane Maienschein, discusses the issue of genetic engineering and the ethical dilemma and how the United States, government, and people are interacting in the struggle of the ethics behind genetic engineering. The authors present the facts that genetic engineering has laid in the grey area forever, and still continues to sit in that grey area. Genetic Engineering will occasionally find itself in the news and the argument reignites but falls flat within a couple of weeks waiting till the next breakthrough arises. Cook-Deegan and Maienschein stats some of the most recent progress in genetic engineering, which brings into perspective the relevance, development, and the possibility that soon…

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The lionization of genetic engineering has belied its unethical effects on society. The development of this technology will lead to a society gap between those who are genetically enhanced and those who have “natural genes”. Additionally, this manipulation will also deprive a child from its natural rights and will cause hardships in the future. Lastly, genetic engineering has the potential of ending the life of the embryo due to its relatively new technology. This manipulation of genes will result in catastrophic outcomes that will harm…

    • 613 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The article written by Amy Harmon, New York Times journalist, discusses the possibility of altering gene in human embryos. This controversial topic brings about many different emotions for the vast majority of people. Appealing to this emotion, Harmon presents facts that explains how the alteration of genes in human embryos can have many positives effects of the future child. For example, the blocking of a future possible genetic disease such as Huntington's, or Tay-Sachs disease can help improve a child’s life. However, there are also many arguments against this new process. Harmon also explores the idea of altering traits related to beauty, strength, and personality. By having the ability to change physical characteristics, Harmon creates imagination for the reader. By stating potential outcomes for the average person, Harmon appeals to a larger audience and causes them to feel affected.…

    • 336 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Where do you draw the line between the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ of genome editing? Which traits are we allowed to change, and who decides this? Will we be allowed to use gene editing to change basic human traits such as intelligence and athletic ability? Who will be able to afford gene editing? Will it make society less accepting of people who are born with genetic conditions? These are some of the questions this seminar will examine. The first topics to be studied are; what is gene editing and how does it work? Being able to understand the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of gene editing will allow the students to gain the background knowledge needed to provide…

    • 360 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Listening for the Public Voice, by Robert Cook-Deegan and Jane Maienschein, discusses the issue of genetic engineering and the ethical dilemma and how the United States, government, and people are interacting in the struggle of the ethics behind genetic engineering. The authors present the facts that genetic engineering has laid in the grey area ever since it was first brought to in lab, and still continues to sit in that grey area. Genetic Engineering will occasionally pop up in the news and the argument will be reignited but quickly fizzle out till the next breakthrough appears on media. Cook-Deegan and Maienschein stats some of the most recent breakthroughs in genetic engineering which brings into perspective the relevance,…

    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    While the idea of creating an artificial child may seem immoral, there are more advantages to designer babies than just eliminating disabilities. In addition to creating a fairer environment for all children, this procedure could also make them live longer with the discarding of disease causing genes. Furthermore, the newfound experience and data collected from this procedure could also help geneticists progress faster in their research in genetics. The operation could be also viewed as ethically accepted since some women take prenatal pills during pregnancy to ensure…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Designer Babies” is a layman’s term used to describe what is known in the medical field as genetically engineered of human gametes, zygotes and embryos also known as germ line modification, (Wikipedia). There are countless problems surrounding designer babies, an example being a gene does not code just for one function, thus a gene medication can be used to solve a problem while it causes another problem involuntarily, (world press 2013, April 28). People have questions about this process such as; is designing a baby ethical? Then there are problems attached to this process that give rise to questions that are impossible to answer, such as; If the process were made acceptable and ethical by members of society and would the parent be modifying only for medical purposes or in hopes to have the most “perfect baby”, (Debate.org). The biggest concern is what designer babies have to offer in today’s modern society, giving rise to the real question in all this: Are there social barriers that could be created by designer babies? And any sane man would answer “Y.E.S.” and I would make it easier for those people by justifying their educated guess by giving the significance of this research question which will hopefully convince society not to tamper with the nature of their offspring, also to…

    • 1566 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The question of “designer babies” is one that is fairly recent and controversy of the topic starts from the very definition of the term. When one is presented with the term “designer babies”, Most people imagine a genetically engineered being who is less human and more technology. This false stigma mainly comes from the negative reputation of Genetically modified species such as food or animals. However, the reality is quite different, it can be argued that even choosing a fertilised cell as an embryo during IVF is a form of a designer baby. After conducting a questionnaire; 86.76% of people believed a “designer baby” was a being which was genetically engineered to have selective traits. However, there is the risk that with new technology,…

    • 1614 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Brilliant Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of Babies

    • 2056 Words
    • 9 Pages
    • 7 Works Cited

    The increase of knowledge regarding the topic altering genes has become rapid and have open and paved the hope of designing your own perfect baby. Even today, the use of reforming and adjusting the genes of an unborn child is being put in effect. “Techniques of genetic screening are already being used, whereby embryos can be selected by sex and checked for certain disease-bearing genes. This can lead to either the termination of a pregnancy, or if analyzed at a pre-implantation stage when using In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), can enable the pregnancy to be created using only non-disease bearing genes” (Steere, 2011, para. 6). Altering the babies genes can not only harm the baby, however, can also terminate the baby. Genetic screening have only showed negative effects as the result, therefore, only showing that the process for creating a designer baby will be…

    • 2056 Words
    • 9 Pages
    • 7 Works Cited
    Brilliant Essays
  • Great Essays

    Picture this: a world where everyone looks exactly the same--ridden with birth defects, religion has disappeared because people can control their environment with a simple insertion or deletion of a gene, and no one is sure of the future because every couple years, a virus that was supposed to harmlessly alter genes mutates to harmfully cause a deadly epidemic. Sound familiar? Maybe not yet, but at the rate we 're going, the world isn 't far away from the scenario just described due to the ever-increasing rate of genetic engineering occurring in today 's world. From genetically modified crops to mice that glow in the dark to bacteria that produce insulin, countless uses of genetic engineering have appeared in just a few short years, and without…

    • 1477 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Couples are able to pick and choose genes that they want their baby to inherit. Choosing such things has height, eye color, hair color, and intelligence are all included in the process. The procedure is unfortunately, quite pricey. Much of society believes that this will create a generation of “haves and have-nots”; as it will be out of reach for most Americans, and not to say other countries. This ultimately leads to bigger problems. The genetically designed will have the advantage in most situations such as sports, school, and life its self. The “normal” population will be the ones left behind trying the meet the same standards. Even if it is the next step for mankind, is it worth risking “playing God” (Long)? As Human genetic engineering continues to move forward, it will always bring the good and the bad along with it. It is up to us to choose to the risks or…

    • 1038 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics