midterm 2 review Flashcards
Define eugenics, and who is the founder of eugenics?
Eugenics= good creation
Greek words - taken from the idea from greek philosophers Francis Galton popularized it -Eugenics is the practice or advocacy of improving the human species by selectively mating people with specific “desirable” hereditary traits Mainly, the aim to “reduce human suffering” by breeding out diseases, disabilities, and so called undesirable characteristics from the human population
What are the two main types of eugenics? Describe each type of eugenics.
Positive: is the improvement of the human race by encouraging those with desirable genetic traits to produce more
Negative eugenics: is the reduced reproduction and even sterilization of individuals with less desirable or undesirable genetic traits
What are the different approaches used for positve eugenics?
Encouraging high-achieving people to have more children.
o Creating sperm banks and artificial insemination by donors.
o Egg selection
o Embryo donation
o Genetics engineering
Put into place policies to encourage reproduction + establishing sperm banks for those with desirable traits
What are the different approaches used for negative eugenics?
discourage reproduction by the unfit
- prevent marriage and racial mixing
- institutionalization
-sterilization and castration
- immigration quotas
-stigmatization and discrimination
-death/extermination
discourage or prevent birth of the unfit
- abortion
How was John Harvey Kellogg involved in eugenics, and what did he do?
Popularized
John Kellogg was very involved in eugenics - organized the “race betterment foundation” in 1911 ○ Established a pedigree registry ○ Foundation held many national conferences about eugenics American eugenics society ○ Tracked families and their genetic traits and claimed most people unfit - immigrants, minorities, and the poor
What is the name of Madison Grant’s book? What race did he invent? Explain Grant’s
beliefs about the new race he invented. (From the Documentary “The Eugenics Crusade
“)
The Passing of the Great Race”, the Nordic Race, blue eye tall men are the most
evolved of all races. He believed that the new race is fragile and if the new race mate
with the other races, the other races traits will show as the new race is not completely
established. Preserve the Nordic Race!
What did Margaret Sanger suggest and get credit for? (From the Documentary “The
Eugenics Crusade “
she suggested that no feeble-minded human should marry or have children and families
with low income should not have families. She was the advocate for birth control.
Define newgenics
Newgenics” is the name given to modern
eugenic practices that have emerged in light of
new technological developments, referring to ideas and practices that appeal to scientific advances and genetic knowledge with the aim of improving mankind and curing or eliminating genetically based illness.
○ Pre-natal testing and selective abortions
○ Pre elimination genetic diagnosis
Define the concept of designer babies.
- a baby genetically engineered in vitro for specially selected traits, which can
vary from lowered disease-risk to gender selection- In 2018, a chinese doctor claimed that he altered the genetic make-up of IVF embryos and implanted it into a surrogate, leading to the birth of twin girls
○ A third child was born the following year according to him
○ Costed his career - imprisoned - ethical concerns, condemned in his field
- In 2018, a chinese doctor claimed that he altered the genetic make-up of IVF embryos and implanted it into a surrogate, leading to the birth of twin girls
What was Thomas Hunt Morgan’s idea about eugenics, and how did
this idea about eugenics change?
Did not like the idea of eugenics
Worked with fruit flies - short reproduction time etc - but he found some traits could not be explained simply Realized that if it didn’t apply to flies it could not apply to humans - he withdrew from the movement + eugenics records office But, his withdrawal was quiet
Describe R.A. Fisher’s connection to the field of eugenics.
Was supportive of eugenics and had more sympathy for nazis than his colleagues
Contributed a lot - introduced lots of mathematical equations to the field Many organizations are now trying to avoid discussing/focusing on fisher due to his views Believed social conditions were due to inherited abilities/traits
What are the major ethical issues in human population genetics?
informed consent
biased genome reference
What is the name of the program studying more diversity in human
populations?
Human genome reference program - pangenome - genome reference that is unified and can represent the entire species much better
Define indigenous knowledge.
indigenous knowledge: local and indigenous refers to the understandings, skills, and philosophies developed by societies with long histories of interaction with their natural surroundings
○ Local knowledge informs decision making and fundamental aspects of day to day life
