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.
Epidemic
Increased occurrence of a disease in a particular community at a particular time
- large amount of people affected
- short period of time
Pandemic
an epidemic that has spread across multiple countries/ continents
Treatment for pandemic and epidemic
- improving hyigen+sanitation
- access to clean water and foods
- gloves and masks
- quarantine and isolation
- pain relief medication
- antibiotics and antivirals
rational drug design
The process where scientists study the shape and charge of the target molecule and design a drug complementary in shape to give rise to therapeutic benefits
Antibiotics kill/ slow the growth of
bacteria not virus(never virus)
Methods of identifying pathogens can be seen in three factors, what are they?
- Physical
- Visualising pathogen using microscope to determine structure
- biochemical testing using different media to culture pathogen - Immunological
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay–> determined presence of antibodies or antigen in sample to identify pathogen - Molecular
- Hybridisation based detection–> segment of genetic material complementary to pathogen genetic material added to sample, if signals generated, pathogen present
- Amplication based detection –> PCR amplify segments of DNA specific to pathogen
- Whole-genome sequenced –> provide information about pathogen and pertaining resistance
Strategies to deal with disease
- Preventation
- Ongoing surveillance of disease indicators
- Quarantine and isolation
- Identification of pathogen
- Identify and control method of spread
- Treatment
Strategies to deal with disease- prevention
- improve hygiene and sanitation-handwashing
- access to clean water and food
- sterilizing surfaces and tools
- glove and mask
- laws controlling immigration
- education
- vaccination
Strategies to deal with disease- Ongoing surveillance
- government keep record on medication sales (prevalence of certain symptoms/ illness)
Strategies to deal with disease- Quarantine and isolation
- ill potential ill separated from healthy people
Strategies to deal with disease - Identification of pathogen/ control method of spread
- identify disease/ spread ,–> provide guidance–> manage outbreak
Strategies to deal with disease - Treatment
- medication-antibiotic and antivirals to target pathogen
transmission route
- airborne and droplet-sneezing coughing, talking or dust particle.
- faecal- oral route- pathogen in food and water
- bodily fluids– blood, semen, saliva or urine(A) –> contacts mucous membrane or blood(UA)
- Direct contact- -contact skin, surface
- Vector– vector spread
antibiotics
- treat bacterial disease ( kill/ slow growth)
antivirals
- treat virus disease
Rational drug design
Process, scientist study shape+charge of a target molecule and design a complementary-shaped drug to give rise to therapeutic benefits
- identify molecular cause of disease
- design a medicine complementary in shape+charge to interfere w/ its functioning
- This brings a therapeutic benefit for patient
Relenza
- drug designed to combat influenza
1. Relenza selectively binds to active site of neuraminidase
2. Relenza inhibits neuraminidase
3. Neuraminidase can’t cut connection between virus and hots cell
4. Newly reproduced virus cannot escape from host cell
5. This limits spread of infection+reduces severity of symptoms/ duration of illness
