Genetic Engineering: The Controversy of Genetic Screening Essay

The Controversy of Genetic Screening      Ã‚   Craig Ventor of Celera Genomics, Rockville, MD, and Francis Collins of the National Institutes of Health and Wellcome Trust, London, England, simultaneously presented the sequence of human DNA in June of 2000, accomplishing the first major endeavor of the Human Genome Project (HGP) (Ridley 2). As scientists link human characteristics to genes-segments of DNA found on one or more of the 23 human chromosomes-prospects for genetic engineering will increase dramatically. One relatively simple but powerful application of the HGP is genetic screening. By abstracting and analyzing DNA from embryos, fetuses, children or adults, one can detect the presence or absence of specific genes. While some people think of genetic screening as a great scientific and medical advancement, others see it as a frightening and dangerous enterprise. With careful regulation, I believe genetic screening can affect individuals in a beneficial manner.    Pre-natal genetic screening is currently used in high-risk pregnancies for detection of diseases such as Down Syndrome and Huntington's chorea (Ridley 55, 98). As scientists determine the genes for additional genetic conditions, screening of embryos will provide more information to potential parents before their fetus is fully developed. If a screened fetus were found to carry genes for a particular disease or disability, its parents might selectively abort it. Many individuals who believe in pro-choice abortion laws advocate pre-natal screening for genetic diseases because the abortion of fetuses with undesirable traits may decrease the number of unwanted children. Those against abortion strongly oppose pre-natal screening, predicting an increase in abor... ...guidelines could eliminate many of these destructive effects. Pre-natal screening should only test for 'abortion-worthy' diseases determined by a national or international bioethics committee. Children and adults should be screened for particular diseases or conditions when/if family medical histories or physical examinations find reason to do so. With such policies, I believe that genetic screening will beneficially revolutionize obstetric and preventative medicine.    Works Cited Gibbs, Nancy and Michael Duffy. "We Must Proceed With Great Care." Time. Hubbard, Ruth and Elijah Wald. Exploring the Gene Myth. Boston: Beacon Press. Lemonick, Michael P. "Smart Genes?" Time 13 Sept. 1999. Ridley, Matt. Genome: the Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters. Perennial. Snell, Marilyn B. "Tempest in a Pill Box." Sierra 85 (2000): 18-19.   

Is it truly difficult for any author to be purely objective?

I think that it is truly difficult for any author to be purely objective because the very act of writing about something already indicates a choice of topic and consequently a choice of message to share to the readers. They write about what they write for a reason – and as writing goes it is to delight and enlighten. Delight when it is for entertainment, enlighten when it seeks to push the reader to look at what he previously did not see. In terms of forms, it is easier to grasp the author’s message in non-fiction as these tend to be straight-forward and usually indicates the message clearly.Fiction reflects reality and illustrates the message in a story, whereas poetry seeks to do the same with less words. Of all the forms, poetry asks the most skill because it uses the least number of words and yet seeks to deliver the same impact as other forms of writing. Personally I prefer poetry, because it uses so little words for more impact. It is compact but it speaks to the core, and has to be read several times for its meaning to sink in.Also, it lends itself to many layers of interpretation as compared to fiction and non-fiction, but its core message remains the same. Although a lot of people would say that poetry is not easy to understand, the demands of poetry on one’s attention is precisely what makes me prefer it because it asks for focus and time. In this sense, because poetry appears difficult, although of course I would say it is a labor of love to read poetry, the pay off is much greater as well, and because of the effort leaves a mark as I try to make sense of its message in my life.

Angiogenesis for Cancer Treatment - 607 Words

Nowadays various diseases cause the death of so many people every day. One of the most dangerous and destroying one is the cancer which is the type of disease with uncontrollably growing cells. Hopefully science has found a simpler and healthier way to prevent cancer and stop its growth. A new research based on angiogenesis proves that we can stop cancer just by a special diet and the good news about this diet is that we do not have to limit the food we take, but rather add specific plants and herbs to it. The so called â€Å"angiogenesis† is a term which stands for the process by which our bodies develop blood vessels. Although it doesn’t seem to be an incredibly difficult process, â€Å"angiogenesis† is the source of many well-known terminal diseases. Nowadays cancer has become extremely dangerous and very common; therefore scientists are looking for the right medicine everywhere. Could the answer actually turn to be a way too simple? Food is one of the optio ns providing a solution for this terrible disease. Many special diets have been tested on cancer diagnosed people and cancer survivors and that was not by chance. Doctors and nutritionists have now combined their efforts in search of an effective cure for cancer. Blood vessels are extremely important part of our bodies. In fact there are so many of them that if we have to measure their length it would reach 60,000 miles in the body of an adult. The smallest vessels are known as capillaries. They canShow MoreRelatedThe Death Of The Word Cancer Strikes Fear Into The Hearts Of So Most Hardened Of Us1658 Words   |  7 PagesEssay Just the thought of the word cancer strikes fear into the hearts of even the most hardened of us. In excess of over 300,000 people were diagnosed with cancer back in 2011 according to statistics published on the cancer research website. 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