The article, When will "3-Parent Babies" come to the U.S.? is explaining how in
the United Kingdom the idea of 3-parent babies has been passed in parliament. The child
will be genetically made up with material from two females and one male. The
main goal for this process is so that the mother can have a child without
passing on genetic mutations. Mainly the process is to replace the mitochondria that would be in the mothers’ egg. The genetic mutations that are trying to be avoided cause seizures, premature deaths and even loss of sight.
Similar to In Vitro Fertilization(IVF) the process will be done in a petri dish. Genes from the mother, father
and female donor will be mixed to make the embryo. The female donor will have a
mitochondrial DNA that has no mutations. The nucleus of that egg, the birth mom’s
nuclear DNA and the father’s DNA will all be combined to form what will make a
child’s genetic makeup. This will then be inserted into the birth mothers’
uterus similar to IVF treatments. The problem is that not enough studies have been done to prove that future issues will not occur. Nobody really knows if genetic mutations will occur in later generations of those children that are created through this process, Public response has showed that people are
concerned with the idea of “designer babies." People think that babies will be created to be smarter, more athletic and have a specific look.
I think this article is interesting in that it is showing how advanced scientific technology has really gotten. Whether or not that is a good thing is the main issue. Personally I think that this is a bad idea. People are going to take it to the level where "designer babies" might actually become a reality. If this happens then society itself will be artificially created. The other issue is that research has not been able to prove the long term affects this 3-parent baby process could have on future generations. What if the mitochondrial mutations come back but even stronger than they were previously, this could cause an even bigger issues in society as a whole. The FDA should further investigate possible harmful affects.
I think this article is interesting in that it is showing how advanced scientific technology has really gotten. Whether or not that is a good thing is the main issue. Personally I think that this is a bad idea. People are going to take it to the level where "designer babies" might actually become a reality. If this happens then society itself will be artificially created. The other issue is that research has not been able to prove the long term affects this 3-parent baby process could have on future generations. What if the mitochondrial mutations come back but even stronger than they were previously, this could cause an even bigger issues in society as a whole. The FDA should further investigate possible harmful affects.
Is intelligence and athleticism genetic? I find it interesting that the article says that is a trait that can be selected for.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I may have worded it incorrectly. The article is saying if the idea of "designer babies" becomes a reality who knows if people will start selecting certain traits. Also I believe that intelligence can be heritable to an extant. I'm not sure if that clears it up at all.
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DeleteI think that while its amazing that we can alter the DNA of an egg to stop any mutations from occurring, I think your right in the the fact that this could bring up a lot of ethical concerns. At what point do we stop allowing people to manipulate the traits that their child has.
ReplyDeleteI think that while its amazing that we can alter the DNA of an egg to stop any mutations from occurring, I think your right in the the fact that this could bring up a lot of ethical concerns. At what point do we stop allowing people to manipulate the traits that their child has.
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