DNA repair

Patenting has been improved for decades and there now exist many patents pertaining to technology and science. The issue of whether patenting inventions in these areas brings more benefits or drawbacks for society is a debated problem. Some people believe that patent system is beneficial for economic development and protection of inventions. However, others opine that some patents deter the research process and not actually profit the whole society. In this essay, both sides of views will be…

Evolution refers to change that occurs in a population over time. These changes are produced at the genetic level as organisms’ genes mutate in different ways during reproduction. Evolution is a change in the gene pool of a population over time. Populations simply adapt to their surroundings. Lots of things change over time. People, animals, the changes of the leaves, the rivers having new species, the changes in the weather patterns. All through the Earth we all are changing. We are born and…

Gregor Mendel was a scientist from Moravia who became famous for founding the science of genetics. He worked with cross breeding pea plants, focusing on several different characteristics. When he found that breeding a green and yellow pea plant, always turned out with yellow colored offspring, he ended up making the terms "dominant" and "recessive". Sadly, Mendel's work wasn't found important until decades later in the 20th century, but the things he discovered are still important to us today.…

The central argument of this case is on how to conduct a study for a potential cure for the Ebola virus. Specifically, the researchers have to decide if they should do a blinded experiment or a non-randomized experiment. The problem with this choice is that a proportion of those involved with the study would purposely be given a placebo, or no drug. The other option is to give everyone within the study doses of the drug. This has the problem of producing less than accurate results, since data on…

Over the course of my high school years, I have practically been living with the topic of human genetic engineering. After watching the film Gattaca in my freshman biology class, I immediately clung to this topic, fascinated by what this technology was capable of. But most importantly, the extent to which this could negatively impact the future of American society. I went on to, not only, write a research paper on this topic my sophomore year, but also decided to argue my stance during my AP…

Ever wonder what gives top athletes that extra edge that makes them the best? Through my passion for soccer I have been drawn to reading countless articles and books on soccer, and athletics in general, in an effort to answer this question. One of my favorite books, The Sports Gene by David Epstein, delves into the mystery of why some people are faster or can run seemingly impossible distances. This has always fascinated me, since there is no definitive answer to why some people are more…

There are many ethical genetic issues that are controversial and will remain that way forever. Some include disagreements on how humans use animals in biological studies. Xenotransplantation, for example, furthers the use of animals for human benefit. Xenotransplantation, first discovered in the 1900’s, is a method of transplanting live animals cells, tissues, or organs from one species to another. It is becoming more common for animals such as pigs, goats, and monkeys to to be used as organ…

Human civilizations in the early years involved hunting and picking food to remain intact. By contributing equally to society, men and women depended on each other to survive. At this point, the birth rate was very low and there was no need for a large population. Only a small group of people were needed for hunting and picking food from nearby forests. This paleolithic lifestyle lasted until about 12,000 years ago when agriculture was introduced and helped fuel the Neolithic revolution(The…

In 2004, the National Health and Medical Research Council (‘NHMRC’) banned sex selection on moral and social grounds, except in the case of a serious genetic condition. However, recent debates in Australia have led the NHMRC to consider the prospect of lifting the life ban. It is inherent in such a culturally diverse society that the public cannot reach one consensus. While some believe that sex selection is unethical for ‘moral’ purposes, others believe that it is an ethical means of hindering…

In her article “The Ethical Dilemma of Genetically Modified Food”, Valeria Jefferson presents the conflict society is currently facing in the matter of the inherent ethics of genetically modified food (GMF). She addresses points on both sides of the argument, giving the reader a broad overview of the facts. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are defined as plants and animals that have been altered at the genetic level for a specific purpose. That purpose could be to enhance resistance to…