...The second kind of gene therapy is somatic therapy. At the beginning of this therapy it was designed to treat inherited diseases which include, cystic fibrosis, which is a hereditary diseases which can lead to respiratory infections. but now they believe which gene therapy they can find treatments for cancer, arthritis and infectious diseases. out of the two therapies somatic therapy has been focused on. not only for its safer and more educated reasoning but also of the ethical aspect of it, as if only effects the one person and cant be genetically passed down through generations. although this therapy has been around for a very long time researchers say that there is still a lot of work to be done. there are many positive sides to the treatment,...
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...genetically modified organism is a plant, animal where the genes have been artificially changed using genetic engineering by adding in a new gene that doesn’t belong to change or improve the organism. The reason we modify organisms is essentially to combine different genes that don’t occur naturally. The discovery of GMOS has had significant impact positively and negatively on society benefits such as increased agricultural and risks such as the possibility of new diseases need to be considered but I believe positive such as creating more outweigh the negatives. Plants and animals can both be genetically modified but today I will be focusing on genetically modified plants. Genetically modifying organisms happens in 4 stages identifying a trait of interest, isolating that genetic trait, inserting that trait into the genome of a desired organism, and then growing the engineered organism. Identification of the gene of interest, researches search for a new gene of interest...
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...potentially further our society. However, it is illegal to change or mutate DNA in a child in the US. Specifically modifying or editing gene cells or embryos so that a child has certain features are called “designer babies.” Designer babies could be of great help to society. For example, if the next generation is biologically smarter,...
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...of your societal class. Symbolism was constantly used throughout the film by Niccol to convey the main idea of genoism, the discrimination based solely on one's genes. Through bars, DNA, and glass symbols, the main character Vincent is shown to be oppressed and excluded due to his ‘invalid’ genes. Dialogue and camera work were also used in order to deepen the audience’s understanding of the genetic discrimination in the film and to comment on the dangers of genetic engineering. Genetic discrimination, through prejudiced stereotypes based on an individual’s DNA, is depicted by Niccol as misguided, unjust and dividing within a society. Your genes become your destiny. The genoist society in Gattaca rejects the desires and dreams of invalids like Vincent. Niccol uses the recurring symbol of bars to show how Vincent was excluded from society for being an invalid. An invalid is someone who does not have genetically engineered genes and is therefore considered to be of a lower class...
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...Charles Darwin once believed, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” For years many scientists have gathered data that supports this simple concept. It is inevitable that certain individuals will possess traits needed to thrive in society while others will fail to adapt. The world is constantly changing, and eventually ruthless reality will conquer opposition and determination. As Knowles’ characters of Leper, Finny, and Gene demonstrate in his novel A Separate Peace: only the fittest survive. For example, Knowles’ character of Leper demonstrates survival of the fittest. More specifically, when Leper watches a movie with troops skiing in...
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...Deviance is described as being behaviour that is not part of the norms in your particular society. This can be different throughout the world because some cultures have very different norms (Stephens and Leach, 1998:17). Most deviant behaviour will attract disapproval from others in the society or punishment from authorities. There are many different types of deviance such as addiction, mental illness, alcoholism, criminality and homosexuality. Throughout this essay six types of theories will be discussed about how and why people are deviant. Four of these theories support the idea of deviance being biological and three support the idea of it being caused by your social construction. Also the essay will talk about the differences between the theories and a similarity amongst them as they don’t often agree. There are two main views that people see as to how a person becomes deviant; biologically or from a person’s social construction. The biological explanation of deviance is that it is part of who you are when you are born. Whether you are born into a long line of alcoholics or your mother has a mental illness, it is coming from your genes. There are many theories that support the biological explanation of deviance that will be explained in this essay. Some seem very unlikely and don’t have a lot of evidence but there are a lot of theorists that support this idea. The social constructionist explanation is that you become deviant from the way that you are brought up. It is...
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...Gene One: Problem Solution and Defense Gene One is a privately owned biotechnology company who is attempting an initial public offering (IPO). During this transition, opportunities within Gene One‘s organizational structure have been made more eminent. This paper uses the Problem Based Learning model the concepts of transformational leadership and organizational culture will be applied to the current internal issues faced by Gene One in the areas of team dynamics, knowledge and leadership style. Gene One is lead by Don Ruiz who has surpassed expectations during its 8-year growth. Don is an intrinsic part of a 5-member team who built the Gene One out of a 2 million-dollar investment. Don’s goal is to position Gene One as an industry leader. In order to acquire large amounts of capital for advanced research and superior product development to meet consumer demand and a grow by 40% per year, Gene One board of directors have decided on an initial public offering (IPO) within a 36 month deadline. Describe the Situation Issue and Opportunity Identification Gene One has several opportunities within the organizations. These opportunities are organizational culture, teamwork, and leadership. A company’s organizational culture is “the basic pattern of shared assumption, values, and beliefs governing the way employees within an organization think about and act on problems and opportunities,” (McShane and Von Glinow, 2005). Gene One must understand how employees' attitudes, feeling, and...
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...Chromosomes have and approximately 50,000 to 100,000 genes each, all inherited entirely from our parents. Genes determine all of our biological traits and even certain diseases we may develop during our lives. The issue with genes is that according to this source, ‘A variation as small as one nucleotide (Which is very, very tiny) in the DNA sequence can disrupt a gene severely; these deleterious alterations in DNA sequences are called genetic mutations. Genetic conditions such as Huntington Disease or Cystic Fibrosis are caused by mutations in single genes.’ According to in a Chinese group from Sun Yat-Sen University reported that they had taken “human triponuclear embryos” and successfully cut out the mutant DNA that causes the lethal human disease β-thalassemia, and eliminated the disease entirely from the embryo. Using this same method in ‘The Death Collectors’, the genetic mutation believed to cause Clinical Depression was located in the chromosome and terminated completely. Whilst scientists have not yet determined a specific gene that causes genetic Major Depression, over 60% (cite) of Clinical Depression cases are believed to be instigated by an inheritable DNA. It is entirely possible that in the future, scientists will have the technology capable of finding such inconspicuous...
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...Richard Dawkins- need to know terminology. The Gene- a basic unit of natural selection. We are a mass of these genes and unconsciously they decide which are strong and which are weak. They affect our behaviour through our consciousness and our brains. Selfishness- the principle of acting in one’s own interest. Dawkins uses this term when writing about the selfish gene as he is suggesting just like most creatures who will to survive, each gene is trying to prolong its own survival and existence. It can do this through different ways. The Extended Phenotype- an idea to mean the effects that a gene has on the outside world that may influence its chances of being replicate. Great example- For instance a Beaver dam might be considered a phenotype of beaver genes, the same way beaver’s incisors might be considered to be a phenotype of beaver genes. This would mean that both the dam and the teeth are phenotypes expressions of their genes. Mutations- these are simply changes. In a sense Dawkins is suggesting that genes can mutate and there evolve within a body. This can then affect behaviour in a person. These changes can occur in a life and genes can replicate themselves. Replicators- genes that are trying on an unconscious level to make more of themselves to enable their survival. This can be done by procreation but also within a person. Consciousness- Our sense of self and the idea that we are one not simply millions of genes fighting for survival. Dawkins believes that this...
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...families if the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are involved. The mutation of these genes is more common in women than in men; however, the mutated genes have the ability to be inherited from the mother or the father equally. It is important to note that even though people, mainly women, inherit the mutated genes for breast and ovarian cancer; they do not inherit the disease itself. Rather, those that inherit the genes significantly increase their likelihood of breast or ovarian cancer developing later in life (National Library of Medicine (US), 2015). Specifically, a woman’s risk for developing breast or ovarian cancer increases significantly if a first-degree relative has the disease. With a first-degree relative you share about 50 percent of their genes and this kind of relative includes parents, offspring, and siblings. Knowing this fact there is reason to believe that the genes responsible for the development of breast and ovarian cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2, are strongly heritable in families and possess a high penetrance, or expression rate (Adkinson, 2012). The term used to describe this heritable genetic component is known as familial clustering. Though this disease is attributed to genetics there are other factors that influence the expression of breast and ovarian cancer. These factors include environment, socioeconomic status, and diet (Adkinson, 2012) (National Library of Medicine (US), 2015). The genetics of breast and ovarian cancer seem to link the genes among families as autosomal...
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... Cystic fibrosis is a single gene disorder. This disease is still very life threatening even though science, medicine, and technology have come a long way since the mid 20th century. In the past fifty years, cystic fibrosis patients have gone from dying as infants to having their average life expectancy be from 3540 years old, (Kaneshiro.) Cystic fibrosis is caused by a mutation of the CFTR gene. This gene makes a protein called CFTR or (cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator.) This protein balances the salt and water content on epithelial surfaces by providing a channel for the movement of chloride ions in and out of cells, (Genetics and Nutrition.) The CFTR protein can be altered if there is a fatal mutation in the CF gene. Although there are so many different mutations of this gene, the most common is found in almost ninety percent of all cystic fibrosis patients. This mutation is just a simple deletion of three nucleotides. These three nucleotides were to create the amino acid phenylalanine, but with CF, that is never made. The CF protein never makes it to the cell membrane and can never regulate sodium chloride travel, (Genetics and Nutrition.) This CF gene is found on chromosome number seven. In order to have cystic fibrosis, the person needs to have two copies of a mutated CF gene on this chromosome, one being from the mom and one from the dad. This is because cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive disorder and the normal gene is...
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...Running head: GENETIC ENGINEERING Building a Utopian Society Society, Ethics and Technology HUMN432 ACC_U January 20, 2012 How does Genetic Engineering affect society? This is a hard question, and I’m not sure that there is any one correct answer. The selection of individual traits and the enhancements in embryos has raised several moral issues that involve both individuals and society as a whole. The first thing to consider is that when selecting a particular trait does it actually pose any health issues that may not have been that may not have been of concern before? There isn’t any concrete data that could be utilized as an acceptable form of preclinical stats for human studies. Human data may present significant practical and ethical problems. Since the safety of these procedures is fairly new and is currently under investigation, there are no long-term clinical and accurate numbers of research subjects. Even with all these unanswered questions, there are still questions regarding the safety concern involving the results that the majority of genes may have multiple effects. For example, “In the late 1990s, scientists discovered a gene that is linked to memory.” (Tang et al., 1999). “Modifying this gene in mice greatly improved learning and memory, but it also caused increased sensitivity to pain.”(Wei et al., 2001) By altering genes we can’t assume that it will only affect one function, when in actuality it may turn out to disrupt other functions. Individual’s...
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...Landon, have used genetic testing techniques to select the sex of their daughter at a fertility clinic in Los Angeles. As researchers learn new ways to manipulate genes, they plan to take things a step further by offering what some are calling "designer babies". The term “designer babies” refers to a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with in vitro fertilization (the joining of a woman's egg and a man's sperm in a laboratory) to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics. Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg, a pioneer in in-vitro fertilization and director of Los Angeles Fertility Institute, said that he “would predict that by next year, we will have determined sex with 100 percent certainty on a baby, and we will have determined eye color with about an 80 percent accuracy rate." The prospect of “designer babies”, like many of the ethical challenges posed by the advancements in genetics, is confronting the world so rapidly that doctors, ethicists, religious leaders and politicians are just starting to grapple with the implications. In recent discussion on the applications of genetic technology, a clear distinction has been drawn between “gene therapy”, the use of human gene transfer for therapeutic purposes, and “genetic enhancement”, the use of human gene manipulation to...
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...with a new method in which society strives for perfection and it also makes us wonder if genetic engineering is morally correct. Your place in society in Gattaca is based on your genetic makeup and the way you were born. People born the way we know as natural are "in-valids". On the other hand people born with the aid of genetic engineering are "valids." An "in-valid" has his future set out to be a cleaner or other insignificant job in society which doesn't require an education. A new form of prejudice has been recently debated about, which is the idea of having greater or second-rate genes. Within the movie, the natural method of birth is genetic engineering, which is unlike what our society perceives to be natural. Genetic engineering leads to genetic selection from the parents who choose to eliminate any defects, diseases or genetic illnesses. Some parents may want to leave several genetic traits to chance rather then selecting the attributes of their son or daughter. To what extent is this process of conception morally right, if even right at all? Morally speaking, genetic engineering in any conception should only be used in extreme circumstances. If the natural method of conception isn't possible in the parents then genetic engineering should be the last resort, but only if the genetic changes take place to provide a healthy child, not to give this child any known advantages over other children born "naturally". Jerome has a high rank of genes and is considered to be "elite"...
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...John Knowles. Gene Forrester is the narrator and alumni of Devon: a prep school...
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