Genetics
A couple of days ago I switched the Discovery Channel on, which was showing a program about Genetics. I thought I d give it a go (there was no Simpsons or Futurama on the telly at that moment).
"Genetics....is that a good or a bad science?" I kept wondering watching these American scientists proudly talking about their discoveries. My perception of Genetics has always been that it is a break-through science of tiny particles - genes (in fact, genno means "give birth" in Greek). It proves just how genius nature is: all information about a human (or animal) structure is kept in just two cells, a sperm and an egg and is passed on through generations by DNA! That was a trully magnificent discovery, people have finally reached the basics of life creation.....
Test tube babies. A miraculous discovery which has helped millions of people to become parents. This successful technique now accounts for 1% of all worldwide births.
I imagine those happy parents who have undergone tiring and long treatments so that they can hold and love their long-waited biological babies. Is it so important to have biological babies? Your own flesh and blood?
I am not a mother yet, i dont know what it is like not to be able to conceive. But what i know is that there are millions of unhappy babies in the world, who are abused or/and live in poverty. They dream of cosy homes and loving parents. I dont understant why we have to spend so much money on science and close our eyes to reality. Baby-making process is not just pleasurable, its holly! I find it unnatural that doctors are proud of their discovery that they can create a new life in the test tube! And soon these doctors will be able to offer a choice to have a test tube girl or a boy, a brunette or a blonde, blue eyes or brown..... all those picky and never satisfied customers.
Coming back to that particular program, scientists were talking about clones. They have injected cow's cell with human cell so that this cow clone now produces milk with human proteins. Is it really that important for cows milk to have human protein? Thjis program also showed how scientists mix and match cells of other animals and i fear that soon a new unknown breed is going to be created. Those clevel people say that they preserve rare animal species from dying. How wonderful. Is in it cheaper to actually start caring for the animals we still have and create better conditions for their well-being?
And, of course, they talk about creating cloned animals as donor of human organs. Well, i think this is a reasonable discovery. At least it is going to help people cause instead of Westerners travelling to poor countries in search of kidneys or whatever else they need, they will be able to get them of genetically modified animals (or maybe even human babies created for those purposes, who knows). But dont you think it is selfish? We - homo sapiens - think that we are Kings of the nature. We eat animals, we hunt for fun, we pollute Earth, we make everything possible so that the world suffers from our existence. And now we think we are soooo clever that we can use science to play with animals' cells and create animal clones for our human organs. We are just sooo scared of dying.
"Genetics....is that a good or a bad science?" I kept wondering watching these American scientists proudly talking about their discoveries. My perception of Genetics has always been that it is a break-through science of tiny particles - genes (in fact, genno means "give birth" in Greek). It proves just how genius nature is: all information about a human (or animal) structure is kept in just two cells, a sperm and an egg and is passed on through generations by DNA! That was a trully magnificent discovery, people have finally reached the basics of life creation.....
Test tube babies. A miraculous discovery which has helped millions of people to become parents. This successful technique now accounts for 1% of all worldwide births.
I imagine those happy parents who have undergone tiring and long treatments so that they can hold and love their long-waited biological babies. Is it so important to have biological babies? Your own flesh and blood?
I am not a mother yet, i dont know what it is like not to be able to conceive. But what i know is that there are millions of unhappy babies in the world, who are abused or/and live in poverty. They dream of cosy homes and loving parents. I dont understant why we have to spend so much money on science and close our eyes to reality. Baby-making process is not just pleasurable, its holly! I find it unnatural that doctors are proud of their discovery that they can create a new life in the test tube! And soon these doctors will be able to offer a choice to have a test tube girl or a boy, a brunette or a blonde, blue eyes or brown..... all those picky and never satisfied customers.
Coming back to that particular program, scientists were talking about clones. They have injected cow's cell with human cell so that this cow clone now produces milk with human proteins. Is it really that important for cows milk to have human protein? Thjis program also showed how scientists mix and match cells of other animals and i fear that soon a new unknown breed is going to be created. Those clevel people say that they preserve rare animal species from dying. How wonderful. Is in it cheaper to actually start caring for the animals we still have and create better conditions for their well-being?
And, of course, they talk about creating cloned animals as donor of human organs. Well, i think this is a reasonable discovery. At least it is going to help people cause instead of Westerners travelling to poor countries in search of kidneys or whatever else they need, they will be able to get them of genetically modified animals (or maybe even human babies created for those purposes, who knows). But dont you think it is selfish? We - homo sapiens - think that we are Kings of the nature. We eat animals, we hunt for fun, we pollute Earth, we make everything possible so that the world suffers from our existence. And now we think we are soooo clever that we can use science to play with animals' cells and create animal clones for our human organs. We are just sooo scared of dying.
And genetically modified food.... Instead of trading with Africa, we would rather grow our freaky and expensive crops.
So far i see nothing positive in new genetics developments. If you think differently, please share your opinion.
P.S. I dont know how my babies are going to look like. I dont know how many I will end up having. But i believe there will be a space for an adopted or fostered child in our house. At least one of those in need will be given a loving home.
So far i see nothing positive in new genetics developments. If you think differently, please share your opinion.
P.S. I dont know how my babies are going to look like. I dont know how many I will end up having. But i believe there will be a space for an adopted or fostered child in our house. At least one of those in need will be given a loving home.
posted by :-> @ 9:08 PM
2 Comments:
Thnk with genetics, especially when scientists mix and match genes, things can be more dangerous than good. Often it seems that scientists do it because they can, rather than because they should.
I think you are right, there are hundreds of people in the world, hundreds of children already. Many are born without love, and i think it would be nicer if we looked after them more than we worried about designer babies or anything like that.
I suppose with organs and things like that, if it was someone you loved dying then you might want more organs. But when you have ppl like George best who lost one organ from too much drinking, get a new one then continue drinking you feel like all this money and time is wasted on the wrong people.
Simple truth is we could support the whole world, with food and medicine but we dont. Rich countries have more than they need and start to invent new problems, plastic surgery, drinkers getting new organs, and poor countries dont have enough at all. Ok i probably sound like a communist or something now so i will calm down
Also haven't tried to have a child yet, so can't comment too much there. Mac, how important is it for Beth to be YOUR flesh and blood? Would adoption be the same?
Think it kinda comes back to the scared of dying thing, once u accept u won't live forever, living on in your child is kinda next best thing. The test-tube baby is a difficult subject, I can kind of see both sides to the arguement. The designer baby is just stupid though. not only is it morally wrong to choose ur baby, but it also won't work, at least not first time. They'll have to do some trial and error first because genes are just so complex and any little change can have very strange effects. for example, when making a mouse which turned out very very strong, it for some reason turned out to be very very scared of everything. No matter how much they practice on animals (which is in itself very wrong) they'll never get it perfect for humans untill they practice with humans. So it's aload of crap and i hope it stays that way.
As for "nothing positive". Definitly not much positive, and mostly dangerous, stupid and just plain wrong, but it might one day be able to do something good. Here's hoping.
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