Embryology Flashcards
What is IVF
In-vitro fertilisation is the process of making sperm fertilise the egg not inside a human (as with normal baby-making), but in glass (a petri dish)
PGT
Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing (Diagnosis) is a technique that enables people with a specific inherited condition in their family to avoid passing it on to their children. It involves checking the genes of embryos created through IVF for this genetic condition
Saviour Sibling
a child who is born through selective IVF and made to be
compatible with a seriously ill sibling. To give an organ, cells or tissue, to a sibling that is affected
with a fatal disease (e.g. Cancer) which is best treated by stem cell transplantation
Genetic Testing
The embryo is examined to check for heritable diseases and either accepted
or rejected based on this, but it is not changed
Genetic Modification
The genes in the embryo are changed so that “improvements” are made
Pure Research
research with no specific therapeutic aim. Its purpose is to further human
understanding and may lead to developing therapies in the future, but not necessarily
Stem cells
is the use of embryonic stem cells to create identical human tissue of some
description, from skin to brain cells
Moral Issues
- It interferes with God’s plan for life
- Economic inequalities
- Slippery slope to designer babies
and eugenics - Is an embryo considered a person?
When does life begin? - Spare embryos are discarded
- Genetic selection
devalues the lives of
disabled people
In what ways are embryos used
- In vitro fertilisation
- PGT
- Stem cells
- Pure research
- Genetic modification
- Saviour siblings
- Genetic selection
Utilitarian views
- enabling childless couples to have children, thus increasing their potential happiness and that of their family and friends
- minimising suffering/pain of the majority for example
families suffering from inherited genetic illnesses like
Hunter’s Syndrome - the consequences benefit humanity as a whole —including future generations by eliminating inherited diseases
- difficulties in predicting the consequences of embryo
research, unleashing diseases and mutations that will affect
future generations
Non-religious views
- If using embryos led to a society which was less caring of “more vulnerable life”,
e.g., people with disabilities, then that
is unlikely to be beneficial for the majority and so NOT morally acceptable - If using embryos is likely to lead to greater good for the majority then it
would be morally acceptable to
use an embryo
Humanism views
- huge benefit to humanity if we find cures to inherited diseases
- the embryo doesn’t have personhood no self-awareness/ability to feel pain
- existing life is more important than potential life
- good consequences outweigh the bad —it can alleviate suffering
- it could lead to devaluing the diversity of life —human’s characteristics could be
selected/eliminated till humans become very similar (slippery slope argument) - designer babies creating a two-tier social system —those designed and those created naturally
Sanctity of Life
- Human lifespan is
decided by God not
humanity - Life is a gift from God
- Humans were created
in God’s likeness
