Unit 4 - Clashes between religious and secular values in: Genetic Manipulation

Question 1

What is DNA?

Answer 1

A molecule that contains the biological instructions that make each species unique.

Question 2

What is a genome?

Answer 2

An organism’s complete set of DNA is called its genome.

Question 3

What is genetic manipulation or genetic engineering?

Answer 3

Genetic manipulation involves making changes to an organism’s genome, either by adding DNA or isolating it, to produce particular characteristics.

Question 4

What do scientists use genetic manipulation for?

Answer 4

• Make copies of cells that can be grown and used to cure someone of a serious medical condition
• This is therapeutic cloning
• It involves taking a cell from someone’s body and removing the nucleus that contains the person’s entire DNA.
• The nucleus is then placed into an egg that is stimulated to start growing
• The resulting embryo contains stem cells
• Stem cells can grow into any type of cell so that damaged cells or even complete organs can be replaced.

Question 5

What is therapeutic cloning?

Answer 5

Therapeutic cloning involves taking a cell from someone’s body and removing the nucleus that contains the person’s entire DNA.

Question 6

What do the RCC believe about therapeutic cloning?

Answer 6

• Absolutely opposed to therapeutic cloning
• Life begins at conception
• The embryo is created for this purpose (the purpose of life) as a human being
• The deliberate destruction of such embryos after stem cells have been removed is therefore wrong

Question 7

What do the COE believe about therapeutic cloning?

Answer 7

• The COE is more cautious
• Acknowledges the view that an embryo could be seen as a human being
• But though it has the potential to be a human, it is not one yet

Question 8

What are the two methods of fertility treatment?

Answer 8

• Artificial insemination
• IVF

Question 9

What is artificial insemination?

Answer 9

• Involves collecting a man’s sperm and inserting it directly into a women’s uterus through non-sexual means
• The COE teaches that conception should occur in a loving sexual relationship, but if this isn’t possible then AI is acceptable
• The RCC believes that conception should only happen through sexual union and AI is unacceptable

Question 10

What is IVF (In vitro fertilisation)?

Answer 10

• IVF brings sperm and egg together outside a woman’s body in laboratory conditions
• Several eggs are fertilised, creating several embryos and usually two are inserted in the woman’s uterus
• ‘Spare’ embryos remain frozen for ten years, after which many are destroyed
• Remaining embryos may be used for research

Question 11

What does the RCC think about IVF?

Answer 11

• The RCC opposes IVF because conception doesn’t take place through an act of love during the process
• Concern about the use of spare embryos
• Since the Church sees embryos as independent, sacred human lives given by God, it’s therefore absolutely opposed to research being conducted on them
• Their destruction is seen as a ‘crime against the dignity of human beings’

Question 12

What does the COE think about IVF?

Answer 12

• Accepts IVF treatment
• Understands why some Anglicans may be opposed to it
• Accepts the use of embryos for medical experimentation, so long as it’s carried out in a certain period of time

Question 13

What is screening?

Answer 13

Screening can show gender or inherited disorders and doctors can select healthy embryos for implanting into the womb.
- Embryos can be selected in order to produce so called saviour siblings - babies born to provide tissue to a brother or sister suffering from a serious medical condition
- Some people worry that selecting embryos in this way produces ‘designer babies’ where parents are able to select embryos for intelligence or looks