1 2 Think about… 3.1 What is bioethics? 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Recall ‘Think about…’ Summary concept map

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Think about…

3.1 What is bioethics?

3.2 Some issues in biotechnology

Recall ‘Think about…’

Summary concept map

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Following the successful cloning of Dolly the sheep and other mammals, humans could possibly be cloned.

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This has started a debate about whether it is right or wrong to clone a whole person. There are different views on this issue.

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Why do people disagree on cloning awhole person1

What factors affecttheir views on it

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Do you support the cloning of awhole person2

Why

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Bioethics (生物倫理學 ) is the study of ethical issues and implications brought about by the advances in the areas of biological science and medicine.

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Human cloning is a new form of human reproduction. It

enables infertile couples like us to have children.

In favour human cloning3.1 What is bioethics?

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Our son died in an accident. A clone of our son may make

up for our loss.

In favour human cloning3.1 What is bioethics?

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It is irresponsible to clone humans when animal cloning has such a low success rate.

Againsthuman cloning3.1 What is bioethics?

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A clone is neither the child nor the brother/sister of the

nucleus donor. The identity of the clone is unclear.

Againsthuman cloning3.1 What is bioethics?

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• values (價值觀 ) guide the way people make their decisions

• values are affected by religion, culture and past experiences, etc.

• one thing that benefits some people may not be beneficial to others

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and broughtBioethics is the study of ethical

about by the advances in the areas of biological science and medicine.

implicationsissues


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legal issues

ethical issues

economic issues

social issues

environmental issues

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Genetically modified food• any food or food ingredient that comes

from genetically modified organisms (GMOs)


GM tomatoes with longer shelf life

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Genetically modified food

• long-term effects on human health?


1 Safety issues

• new genes or their products cause allergies?

• transferral of antibiotic resistance genes produces ‘superbugs’?

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• is it playing God?


2 Ethical issues

• should vegetarians eat GM plants that contain animal genes?

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• increases the dependence of food supply on developed countries and affects the living of farmers in developing countries


3 Social and economic issues

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• GMOs may replace the wild types, reduce biodiversity, or upset the ecological balance


4 Environmental issues

• produces ‘superweeds’• speeds up the evolution

of resistant population of pests

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In 1994, genetically modified tomatoes hit the market in the US as the first commercially available genetically modified crop. GM tomatoes have since disappeared.

Tomatoes were the first genetically modified foods to come on the market. Today, they are no longer cultivated.

Puree made from GM tomatoes was once a success in Great Britain. The EU Member States, however, could not agree on approval.

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Cloning• lack of genetic variations


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Cloning3.2 Some issues in biotechnology

• low success rate1 Ethical issues

death of embryos justified?

day of pregnancy

% s

urvi

val implantation

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• worth investing the money?2 Economic issues

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• clones of endangered animals will still have no place to live

3 Environmental issues

spend money on habitat conservation instead?

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Human reproductive cloning

• clones are ‘unnatural’ ‘sub-humans’? • relation of the clone with the nucleus

donor and the donor’s family? • could the clone experience his/her own

life?• cloning lowers the value of life?

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Risk of abuse



• what happens if rich people use the technology to produce servants?

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Risk of abuse



• what happens if Adolf Hitler clones himself?

• what happens if someone allows only the ‘best’ people to be cloned?

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I’m sorry. There is no cure for the disease.

Oh no.

Human Genome Project

• diagnosis of a genetic disease before available treatment causes anxiety?

1 Ethical issues

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Human Genome Project3.2 Some issues in biotechnology

• who can own or gain access to personal genetic information?

2 Legal issues

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• how can we prevent discrimination against people with particular genotypes and misuse of genetic information?

2 Legal issues

This man has a high risk of developing a fatal genetic disease.

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• how can we prevent discrimination against people with particular genotypes and misuse of genetic information?

2 Legal issues

We’d better refuse his insurance application.

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• can the presence of a certain gene be used as evidence to prove someone guilty or innocent?

2 Legal issues

My client didn’t do it. His gene did it.

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Go! He has a gene related to violence.


• how is the public perception of an individual affected by his/her genetic information?

3 Social issues

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• can the same benefits be obtained from less expensive alternatives?

4 Economic issues

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May I change my eye colour using gene therapy?


Gene therapy

• when should gene therapy be used?

1 Ethical issues

• acceptable for genetic enhancement?

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Gene therapy1 Ethical issues• when should gene therapy be

used?• acceptable for genetic enhancement?• is it playing God?

• causes unforeseeable harmful effects on future generations?

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Gene therapy

• how can we obtain informed consent from seriously ill patients or embryos?

2 Legal issues

• how can we prevent misuse of gene therapy to produce a ‘perfect’ human race?

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Gene therapy

• widens the social class gap?

3 Social issues

• any alternatives?

• right to invest a large sum of money for the benefit of a few patients?

4 Economic issues

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Ethical issues of gene therapy• Is it right to replace a 'defective' gene with a 'normal' one? • Is the answer the same for a gene which causes the bearer

pain, as it is where the gene has a merely cosmetic effect? • Who decides what is 'defective' and what is 'normal'? A

'defective' gene may actually confer some other advantage, e.g. sickled RBC gene.

• Is there a danger that we shall in time reduce the variety so essential to evolution, by the progressive removal of unwanted genes or, by combining genes from different species, are we actually increasing variety and favouring evolution?

• Where a gene probe detects a fatal abnormality, what criteria, if any, should be applied before deciding whether to carry out an abortion?

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Stem cell therapy

• human embryos are destroyed to obtain embryonic stem cells

1 Ethical issues

murder?

N.B. recent scientific advances may allow production of ES cells without destroying embryos

N.B. recent scientific advances may allow production of ES cells without destroying embryos

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Stem cell therapy

• how can we ensure that the technique would not be used in human reproductive cloning?

2 Legal issues

• the public become used to the destruction of human life?

3 Social issues

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Why do people disagree on cloning awhole person? What factors affect their views on it?

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Values guide the way people make their decision. Values are affected by religion, culture and past experiences, etc.

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Why do people disagree on cloning awhole person? What factors affect their views on it?

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In addition, one thing that benefits some people may not be beneficial to others. Thus, people may disagree on cloning a whole person.

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Do you support the cloning of awhole person? Why?2Answers vary with students.

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study of ethical issues and implications brought about by the advances in the areas of

Bioethics

biological science and medicine

includes

biotechnology

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raises

biotechnology

ethical issues

legal issues

social issues

economic issues

environmental issues

Documents

1 2 Think about… 3.1 What is bioethics? 3.2 Some issues in biotechnology Recall ‘Think about…’ Summary concept map