Ethics Behind Designer Babies Designer babies can be described as a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with in vitro fertilization to ensure presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics. There are many pros and cons to creating an embryo or “designing” one. However, this leads to ethical problems. While creating a designer baby gives the parents desired traits, it is not completely safe, because it causes many problems such as gender imbalance and abuse of in vitro for health for health purposes. On the other hand, genetic engineering can bring about many good traits and prevent many illnesses such as, sickle anemia and hemophilia. Implementing designer babies into the
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Cohen originated the process known as the cytoplasmic transfer, and ultimately gained credit throughout the years as originating the first bioengineered babies. Furthermore in 1996, one of the first babies were born using genetic prescreening. This process allowed the parents to choose the gender of the baby they wanted. These actions led clinics like L.A Fertility Clinic to be the first of its kind to screen for genetic illnesses (Future Human Evolution Team [FHE], 2014, para.4,5). Exactly how does this process work, when designing a designer baby? The process known as gene therapy, which is inserting an the genes or DNA into a person’s cells, or recombinant DNA. Recombinant DNA are man made segments of DNA, which are increasingly becoming more advanced and used to manipulate genes. What the advancement of recombinant DNA allows scientists and doctors to do is associate certain genes to specific physical attributes, such as hair and eye color. However, when discussing genetics, there is a difference between genetic engineering and genetic selection. Genetic engineering is referred to as a technical skill to edit genes in a desired order. Whereas genetic selection, is just simply knowing the right sequence when you see it (FHE, 2014, para.2,3). When in the process of creating a designer …show more content…
One of the main new technologies formed in regards to designer babies is called Crispr-Cas9, which is a new gene editing method, created in 2012. The way Crispr-Cas9 works is it uses enzymes which can cut specific genes, and can be used to cut mutant genes (Ball, 2017, para.8). Currently, trials are still being conducted to perfect this method. If this method is conducted however, the only thing left up for debate is whether or not it should be legalized (Loria, 2015, para.7).
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Cohen originated the process known as the cytoplasmic transfer, and ultimately gained credit throughout the years as originating the first bioengineered babies. Furthermore in 1996, one of the first babies were born using genetic prescreening. This process allowed the parents to choose the gender of the baby they wanted. These actions led clinics like L.A Fertility Clinic to be the first of its kind to screen for genetic illnesses (Future Human Evolution Team [FHE], 2014, para.4,5). Exactly how does this process work, when designing a designer baby? The process known as gene therapy, which is inserting an the genes or DNA into a person’s cells, or recombinant DNA. Recombinant DNA are man made segments of DNA, which are increasingly becoming more advanced and used to manipulate genes. What the advancement of recombinant DNA allows scientists and doctors to do is associate certain genes to specific physical attributes, such as hair and eye color. However, when discussing genetics, there is a difference between genetic engineering and genetic selection. Genetic engineering is referred to as a technical skill to edit genes in a desired order. Whereas genetic selection, is just simply knowing the right sequence when you see it (FHE, 2014, para.2,3). When in the process of creating a designer …show more content…
One of the main new technologies formed in regards to designer babies is called Crispr-Cas9, which is a new gene editing method, created in 2012. The way Crispr-Cas9 works is it uses enzymes which can cut specific genes, and can be used to cut mutant genes (Ball, 2017, para.8). Currently, trials are still being conducted to perfect this method. If this method is conducted however, the only thing left up for debate is whether or not it should be legalized (Loria, 2015, para.7).
Reasons Why People May Choose This