Biology and society 16 Flashcards
Gene Cloning
Social and Ethical benefits
Social benefits:
- treat diseases-> reduce pressures on hopistal
- incease population( economy )
Ethical benefits
- efficient production of vital protein, no need to rely on animals
- save lives, increase life expectancy
Gene Cloning
Social and Ethical consequences
Social consequences:
- Need tight regulation as gene therapies can impact pop. fitness
- equity of access
- increase in pop.size leading to overpop
Ethical consequences:
- considered’playing GOD’ by some
- Which diseases should be researched?
What is Gene Cloning
Process of making many copies of a target gene
- e.g. PCR
- Bacterial transformation
what is Genetic Screening
Process that allows us to locate defective/ abnormal genes
Genetic Screening
Social and Ethical benefits
Social Benefit
- early identification of disease, reduce pressures on hospital
Ethical Benefit
- allow people to prepare for or treat genetic disease
- help parents make informed decisions- continuing pregnancy
Genetic Screening
Social and Ethical consequences
Social consequences
- genetic-based discrimination from employers or insurance
- Government construct genetic database in–> invasion of privacy
- Need policy regarding pregnancy selection
Ethical consequences
- Potential harm to foetus and mother
- Groups may be objected to genetic testing and pregnancy termination
- may not want to know what disease will develop
What is DNA profiling
Identify relatedness of individuals based on short tandem repeats-STRS
- STRS-repeating sequences of 2-5 nucleotides in non coding of RNA/ nuclear DNA
DNA profiling
Social and Ethical benefits
Social Benefit :
- used to identify and convict perpetrators of crimes
Ethical Benefit
- identify parental lineage
- identify decease for family closure+burial
- assist in matching organ donors+ patients
DNA profiling
Social and Ethical consequences
Social consequences
- organizations have access to genetic data
- who has ownership of genetic data
Ethical consequences
- people may object to having DNA sequences
- personal DNA data may be leaked
- results are not always reliable
GMO (genetically modifed organism)
Organism with genetic material that has been altered using gene engineering tech
TGO (Transgenic organism)
type of GMO containing genetic material from another species
Are all TGO GMO or are all GMO TGO
All TGO are GMO, but not all GMO are TGO
Biological implications of GMO
Pros:
- GMO crop=better crop productivity, less land used to grow crops–> reduces habitat lost due to land clearing
- insect-resistant GM plants use less pesticides, better for environment
- improve nutriaitional content, improving health.
- GMO crop=better crop productivity, less land used to grow crops–> reduces habitat lost due to land clearing
Cons:
- lose effectiveness if weeds or pest evolve resistance
- widespread use-> reduce genetic diversity
Social implications of GMO
Pros:
- increase crop productibity, more food produced+better food security
- grow in more adverse conditions( drought tolerant corn), improve food security
- herbicide-tolerant plants reduce labour demands
- increase crop yields, larger profit for farmers
- improved texture+flavour
- improved nutritional content, improve health
Cons:
- buy new seeds each season, costly for farmers
- legal issues around GMO-> increase stress on farlmers
Ethical implications of GMO
Pros:
1. Not using tech. to improve agriculture+lives is wrong
Cons:
- Consider GMO as unnatural
- Believe GM food are unsafe
- GMO for humans benefit is inhuman
- unfair demands on farmers by companies owning rights to GM crops
- Farmers can’t reuse seeds, need to buy new, expensive seeds each year from biotech companies.