...The Role of Genetics on Development Michelle Kennedy Nunez PSY104: Child and Adolescent Development Prof. John Gamble April 22, 2013 The Role of Genetics on Development There is a lot of excitement and uncertainty when a child enters the world. Which parent will the baby look like? She might have her mother’s blue eyes or perhaps he will have his father’s curly hair. Is this child going to be outgoing? Will the finished product of the pregnancy be healthy? Is it possible that the baby has inherited a mutation or disease? All of the answers to these questions can be answered by genetics. Genetics determine the development of the fetus in the womb and further determine the development of that fetus into a separate organism outside of the mother. Genetic material is donated equally by the parents to the child and plays a large role in the development of the reproductive offspring. Genetics can determine things as simple as the ultimate height of an individual. As an adult, an individual may be predisposed to carry extra weight on their body. Often times, when people chalk something up to genetics they look to the example of their mother and father. “The entire genetic code of a human is determined by the unique combination of a mother’s single ovum (egg) and a father’s single sperm” (Mossler, 2011). This means that each and every person walking the Earth is a combination of their biological parents, who are in turn a combination of their biological parents...
Words: 984 - Pages: 4
...Genetic Engineering Bethany New BIO 380 February 8, 2015 Genetic Engineering What if any illness could be cured from eating a banana? Or if crops could produce healthier harvest, never become rotten, grow in different climates, and able to grow in different seasons? Well this might be possible in the near future with genetic engineering. “This inserts new DNA in the host genome by first isolation and coping the genetic material of interest using molecular cloning methods to generate a DNA sequence or by synthesizing the DNA” (Brooker,2012). The goal is to add favorable traits that are not formerly originate in the entity. This gives our society the power to modify many characteristics of nature and could result in life-saving and preventative actions. These are the positives while it could cause some negative drawn backs as well when it comes to genetic engineering, but if it could be regulated and monitored it could really develop our progress into the future. The first form of genetic engineering began with a monk named Mendel in the late nineteenth century. He formulated the concept of gene from pea plants. This is where it all started and has continued to progress to finding better strategies for improvement for most produce. It has continued even further to medicines in today’s society to the development of human insulin, which breaks down glucose and is what diabetics lack in their own body. Originally insulin was only obtainable thru the pancreas of cows and...
Words: 556 - Pages: 3
...Genetics: the study of inheritance Trait: generic term for any characteristic of an individual organism Inherited traits: are produced by gene copies that are transmitted from parents to offspring. Traits with at least some genetic basis are said to be “heritable”. Sub disciplines of genetics: Molecular Genetics: primarily concerned wit biochemical mechanisms Transmission genetics: patterns of inheritance from one generation to the next Population genetics: why and how the genetic composition of populations changes in time and space. * Brief history of Genetics: 10,000 bc to 1,000 bc domestication of plants animals and artificial selection discovered. The basic principles of heredity were appreciated without any understanding of DNA. Further evidence for knowledge heredity in ancient writings. Greeks: (600 bc – 300 bc) Theory of pangenesis: “seeds” produced by all parts of the body are transmitted to off spring- cause offspring to resemble their parents. Theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics: traits modified during organisms life and changes passed to offspring. Hippocrates: proposed that the body must maintain a balance between four humors: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. 1600 to 1800s: -discovery of cells -developments in embryology: is the individual preformed (ovists vs. spermists) -understanding that somatic cells differ from germ cells 1859: Darwin developed his theory of evolution by natural selection...
Words: 254 - Pages: 2
...Genetic Engineering - Genetic Engineering is the use of various methods to manipulate the DNA of cells to change hereditary traits or produce biological products. It is a manipulation of genes that allows scientists to put genes from one organism into another organism. Plants - You may not realize it, but plants are a big part of Genetic Engineering. Farmers use many techniques to insert genes from different organism around the world to help increase crop yield and to boost up proteins inside the plant. Animals - Animals are a really good way for scientists to learn about Genetic Engineering. But not only that, animals are a part of Genetic Engineering. Genetic Engineering is used to produce better meat, and other food from animals Humans - So far, the technology of Genetic Engineering is not at it's full potential but soon it may when scientists are confident about Genetic Engineering and it's implications. Only about 30 Genetically Engineering Humans have turned out alive and in good living condition. Genetically Engineered food has improved nutritional value Farmers will benefit from growing Genetically Engineered crops Genetically Engineered crops will reduce the use of herbicides and pesticides There is no evidence that Genetically Engineered crops are harmful to the environment Genetically Engineered crops will save the world from famine 1. By performing genetic engineering, scientists can obtain knowledge about genetic mechanisms. For example, they...
Words: 857 - Pages: 4
...Genetics Scott Cliff Post University Genetic engineering (GE) has been presented to the public as a way to improve the quality of our lives, enhance agriculture and advance our ability to fight genetic illnesses. The possibilities seem endless, but raise worries as well as optimism (Fricker, 2002). The Human Genome Project, conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Health and Human Services, undertook the task of mapping all human genes their chromosomes (Morse, 1998). This project contributed greatly to the potential for GE in humans, but in fact GE has already been used in agriculture. However, some biologists point out that we call “genetic engineering” has been accomplished for centuries via cross-breeding, and that GE is just a new way of accomplishing something already done in the past (Fricker, 2002). The risk with GE is that genes can be combined in ways never before possible, and with possibly unpredictable results. For a decade, we have had the capability to insert alien genes into target cells, thus changing the organism. This can be done with cells taken from a patient. After altering, they can be returned to the patient to achieve some medical goal (Anderson, 1990). The concern with GE is that it can have both anticipated and unanticipated effects (Fricker, 2002). Because of this, we should proceed cautiously and carefully, with many safeguards in place. Genetic engineering is largely uncharted territory and only hubris would allow...
Words: 1262 - Pages: 6
...Genetics’ Testing When asked the question “should consumers have the right to buy any genetics test?” the first thought that pops into my head is, “wait, how much do I really know about genetics?” According to an article by Katherine Harmon a debated issue on selling an over the counter genetic test is one of great concern. When I began reading this article all I could really think was, “wow, what if I bought the test (being as curious as I am) and did it wrong?” In absolutely no way do I think I am close to being qualified to give myself this test nor understand the results. Genetics is of great importance and a serious way of finding out if a possible diseases lay within our future yet at the same time it’s not the easiest subject to learn. Since genetics test could possibly play a big role in finding our vital information, I stopped to think, “Could there possibly be limitations?” Now having read more on this interesting subject before fully making a decision, the National Cancer Institute explains the boundaries of what can be known from a positive or negative test. “A positive result generally indicates that a person has inherited a known harmful mutation, for example, BRCA 1 or BRCA 2, and therefore, has an increased risk of developing certain cancers…however a positive test result provides information only about a person’s risk of developing cancer. It cannot tell whether an individual will actually develop cancer or when.” After reading this interesting fact buying...
Words: 535 - Pages: 3
...Genetic Enhancement on the Human Genome The debate on whether human genetic engineering should be researched and used as the main alternative solution to disease have been going on since the creation of the "human genetic engineering" phenomenon. The ethical question is clear: should money be invested in human genetic engineering and should we research it at all, even if it is formally criticized by all monotheistic religions? The ethical principles in conflict are beneficence (people with fatal diseases could be cured) and non-maleficence (undermines the will of God, according to religious groups and in addition, there is no guarantee of successful results). My stance on this debated topic is that human genetic engineering should not be funded or researched, as there is no 100% guarantee that it will be successful, and in addition, I am a very religious person, and in my opinion, the body that a person has is a gift of God, and it should not be changed in any ways. However, there are still thousands of people with fatal diseases who have no hope for surviving, and human genetic engineering could serve as the only hope for them. There are many sides that can be affected either positively or negatively if human genetic engineering is funded and researched, however, the major stakeholders are primarily the government of US and private companies who fund all the experiments, people with fatal diseases who hope for any type of cure., and the science in general, because if human genetic...
Words: 2205 - Pages: 9
...Genetics Case Study Arthur LaForest Western Governors University 3/7/2013 Interdisciplinary Team, Rational, and Type of Information An interdisciplinary team would be put together by a case manager nurse. A married couple having a first pregnancy diagnosed with Tay-Sachs will need help from a case manager nurse, a social worker, a genetic counselor, an Obstetrician, a Pediatrician, a Catholic Priest, and a Psychologist to help with the emotional issues of a Tay-Sachs pregnancy. The case manager nurse would put together the interdisciplinary team with the married couple, gather history, provide continuity, and comprehensively help make sense of all that will be taught by the team members. The social worker will help with support groups, local referrals, insurance, grants, and financial support. An Obstetrician will help with pregnancy information, manage pregnancy, and deliver the baby. A genetic counselor will help with complete and specific information on the genetic disorder. A Pediatrician can prepare the parents for the care of the baby and what to expect and do from the birth to the death of the baby. Both parents were raised in the Catholic religion and a Priest would help with the comfort of religious beliefs and faith. A Psychologist can counsel the parents, helping them through the emotional turmoil and grief of this pregnancy, birth, and death of child. Teaching Plan With a teaching plan it is important to communicate with words that the parents can understand...
Words: 1502 - Pages: 7
...Voice in the Debate about Genetic Enhancement Technology Unlike a few years ago, when conceiving a baby girl or a baby boy was a matter of chance, today's prospective parents can choose to alter the genetic make-up of their children in order to enhance their offspring's well-being in the future. Recent advances in the field of genetics can now help people to become parents, and even allow them to choosing the sex of their baby. In March 2009, the BBC reported that a couple in California, Kristen and Matt 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...
Words: 2203 - Pages: 9
...Genetic Engineering Facts By definition, Genetic engineering is the modification of an organism’s genetic make up through artificial means often involving the transfer of specific traits known as genes, from one organism to another. In simpler terms, it is the manipulation of DNA to alter an organism’s characteristics in a particular way. The following are some important facts one needs to know on this topic. Genetic engineering can mean deleting DNA to get rid of undesired traits or introducing new genes to get desired traits, but it can also mean combining DNA from separate people. We can begin by talking about the Human Genome Project. The Human Genome Project (HGP) was an international research effort to determine the DNA sequence of the entire human genome. HGP researchers untangled the human genome using three tools: producing what are called linkage maps, through which inherited traits (such as those for genetic disease) can be tracked over generations; making maps that show the locations of genes for major sections of all our chromosomes; and determining the order, or "sequence," of all the bases in our genome's DNA. The research revealed that there are probably somewhere around 30,000 human genes and has given the world detailed information about the structure, organization and function of the human genes and other functional components found in DNA. This information can be seen as the basic set of inheritable "instructions" for the development and function of a...
Words: 629 - Pages: 3
...Breast Cancer… Is Genetic Screening the Answer? By: Wendy Wilburn Biology 2020 – Biology II Dr. Robinson April 25, 2015 The Great Genetic Screening Debate ABSTRACT Within the past thirty years, researchers have found strong evidence that our DNA or genetic material may be a predictive factor for disease probability. This has lead to the development of genetic testing after the isolation of certain candidate genes. Although predictive genetic screening is only available for a selective number of diseases, its ramifications have become hot topics for debated issues in a broad range of arenas from governmental agencies to religious applications. (1). This debate began in 1993 when researchers isolated the BRCA1 gene, which is associated with the increased risk of developing breast cancer (1). The discovery of this gene leads to hope and speculation for development of a predictive genetic test that could identify women at risk for developing breast cancer. The purpose of my paper is to delve into the positives and negatives of predictive genetic testing, as it is applied to breast cancer precursors. INTRODUCTION Before I go into details about how these genetic tests were developed, I want to first discuss how certain genes can trigger an inactive disease. The human body requires the actions of many proteins working together. For a protein to work properly, an intact gene must be encoded for a specific protein. A mutation describes a gene which has genetically...
Words: 1419 - Pages: 6
...Genetic Engineering Wesley Rupe, Jawad Rana, Layli Stroia, Charles Taiwo, Mariella Velasquez, Mark Young DeVry University Genetic Engineering Table of contents Title page ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1 Table of contents ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2 1. A brief description of the technology and an explanation of the associated science (Mariella Velasquez) ………………………………………………..……………. 3 2. Psychological considerations and sociological effects (Mariella Velasquez) …………. 3 3. The historical development and context of the technology (Wesley Rupe) …………. 13 4. Political and legal influences (Mark Young) (Not Complete) 5. Economic questions and considerations (Jawad Rana)………………………………….…… 21 6. The technology in its cultural context, media influence (Charles Taiwo) (Not Complete) 7. Implications for the environment (Charles Taiwo) (Not Complete) 8. Moral and ethical implications (Layli Stroia) ……………………………………………………..… 30 Outline A brief description of the technology and an explanation of the associated science Definition: What is Genetic Engineering? Genetic engineering (GE) is the process of manipulation of an organism genome to create a new DNA. The new DNA might be implanted in a totally different DNA species. It is widely used to create hybrids (some species are not able to naturally breed), correct genetic flows in any type of being. It is applied in...
Words: 8761 - Pages: 36
...Title: Name: Instructors Name: Course Title: Date: Genetic Engineering Genetic engineering is a type of technology that changes the genetic structure of cells. The process entails the transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to improve the organisms. There is complex manipulation of biological chemicals and genetic materials during the process (Berlatsky, 2013). The chemical blueprints that determine an organism character are genes. Transferring the genes from one organism to another carries along the character. The process of genetic engineering is able to give an organism targeted blend of new genes. The new blend of genes leads to a new blend of traits that may be rare or completely absent in nature and cannot be created by natural means. Genetic engineering is beneficial to the health of people. The process of tissue engineering allows the growth and development of new tissue to replace the old tissue that do not function well. For example people with kidney failure with low chances of survival are given the hybrid kidney that has a high resistance to events that lead to the kidney failure, sepsis and infection. The individuals survive and live healthy (Merino, 2013). Using cell transplants to human beings helps them to remain alive when waiting for transplantation of an organ. The use of this process of cell transplants minimizes chances of loss of life. In addition, genetic engineering helps in creation of better vaccines that can prevent the infection...
Words: 566 - Pages: 3
...Genetic Engineering Although genetic engineering is an entirely new field, it has fascinated mankind for many years. Genetic engineering gives the power to change many aspects of nature and could result in a lot of life-saving and preventative treatments. Today, scientists have a greater understanding of genetics and its role in living organisms. However, if this power is misused, the damage could be very great. Therefore, although genetic engineering is a field that should be explored, it needs to be strictly regulated and tested before being put into widespread use. Genetic engineering has also, opened the door way to biological solutions for world problems, as well as aid for body malfunctions. I think that scientists should indeed stop making genetic engineering for humans, because it will soon prove to be devastating to the human race. It would cause rivalries and tension among different kinds of genetically engineered humans for dominance and power. If a limit is not set between using genetic engineering for treatment and using genetic engineering for enhancement, then many parents could use it purely for eugenic purposes. This could cause ethical concerns but social concerns as well. If this was allowed to occur, it would also give the rich even more advantages than they already have to begin with and drive the social classes even farther apart. The use of genetic engineering may also lead to genetic discrimination. As in the movie Gattaca, a person could easily get...
Words: 428 - Pages: 2
...Amanda Wihlen KNS 480 Article April 1, 2013 Genetic testing for sports is not something that is very common. Some people think that it is needed so that any type of athlete can do well in their preferred sport/skills. On the other hand, the disadvantage could be that sports may not just be for fun anymore. According to Bill Miller, genetic testing will change sports in a way that each individual will be able to maximize their performance in certain areas and minimize their risk for any sort of problems. Even though they say that they can alter these genes, does it really work? Eventually, according to the Washington Post, the Food and Drug Administration had to get involved because they never cleared this kind of testing. Atlas Sports Genetics, out of Boulder Colorado, was the first company to offer Athletic DNA testing in the United States. They decided to test a specific gene, which controls muscle protein, ACTN3. This protein helps the muscles create quicker spurs of energy and power in the body. According to Atlas’s president of operations, “A lot of people get confused and think we’re saying this can tell you whether you or your child will be the next Michael Jordan”. He also stated, “It doesn’t tell you that. But it will tell you whether you are producing this protein and whether you are predisposed to be good at a sprint sport or an endurance sport.” He is saying that if a person does develop this protein well they should be focusing more on sports that have...
Words: 567 - Pages: 3
