Genetic Testing or Genetic Screening
opinion Essay
1504 words
Genetic testing, also known as screening, is a rapidly advancing new scientific field that can potentially revolutionize not only the world of medicine, but many aspects of our lives. Genetic screening is the sequencing of human DNA in order to discover genetic differences, anomalies, or mutations that may prove pathological. As genetic screening becomes more advanced and easily accessible, it presents society with difficult questions that must be asked about the boundaries of science and to what degree we are allowed to tamper with the human genome. To better understand the potential impact of genetic screening on our society, we must examine the potential benefits in comparison to the possible negative impact it may cause. With this knowledge in hand, we can examine what the future holds for this field of study and the best possible direction to take. Prenatal genetic screening in particular is a polarizing topic of discussion, more specifically, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PGD is one of the two techniques commonly used to genetically screen embryos in vitro; it is usually done at the eight-cell stage of division. PGD is most often performed when there is the risk that one or both parents carry disease-causing mutations. It is extensively used by high-risk individuals trying to conceive babes who will be free of particular mutations. PGD can test for over 50 genetic conditions and even allows for sex selection if there are underlying gender-associated medical conditions. When the results are satisfactory, the selected embryo is implanted into the mother’s uterus. While a controversial technique, preimplantation genetic diagnosis is one example of some of the good genetic testing can do, more benefits will be furthe... ... middle of paper ... ...ould be allowed to continue but only under heavy scrutiny from regulating bodies. With the proper measures put into place, it can make this a healthier and better world for everyone Works Cited Genetics & Personalized Medicine. (2013). University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Retrieved on February 3, 2014 from: http://www.ottawaheart.ca/research_discovery/genetics-personalized-medicine.htm Coughlin, S. S. (2002). Future challenges for research on diagnostic tests: genetic tests and disease prevention. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 56(5), 335-336. doi:10.1136/jech.56.5.335 Weeks, C. (2012, January 1). Health insurance and 'genetic discrimination': Are rules needed? The Globe and Mail. Retrieved on February 3, 2014 from: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health-insurance-and-genetic-discrimination-are-rules-needed/article4197442/
In this essay, the author
- Argues that genetic screening has many revolutionary applications, but personalized medicine is the most significant.
- Opines that genetic screening could have serious unintended consequences for the public, allowing insurers and employers to use that information to deny coverage and benefits.
- Opines that progress is inevitable and research into the human genome will most likely continue.
- Opines that legalizing over-the-counter genetic testing would provide solutions to some of the problems facing the field of study.
- Opines that genetic screening should be allowed to continue but only under heavy scrutiny from regulating bodies.
- Explains that genetic testing, also known as screening, is a rapidly advancing scientific field that can potentially revolutionize not only the world of medicine, but many aspects of our lives.
- Cites coughlin, s.s., and weeks, c. (2002). future challenges for research on diagnostic tests: genetic tests and disease prevention.
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- What Is The Persuasive Speech For Eugenicsopinion essayIn the same article, “Genetic Testing Yes, ‘Designer Babies’ No,” the three time winner of the Science and Society Journalism award of the Canadian Science Writers’ Association wrote, “A majority of respondents said they would screen for mental retardation (75%), deafness (54%), blindness (56%), heart disease (52%), and cancer (51%)”
In this essay, the author
- Opines that with eugenics, the appearance of diseases, illnesses, and disorders will significantly decrease.
- Urges you to support eugenics in light of the many diseases present out there.
- Argues that parents and future parents should be allowed to pick the traits their child will have. no one wants their offspring to suffer.
- Explains that they are more than knowledgeable about eugenics in researching this speech and writing a research paper on this topic.
- Explains that they will define and expound basic facts about eugenics and advocate for full support behind it.
- Explains that eugenics is the study of improving the qualities of human civilization by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of inheritable desirable traits.
- Explains that selective breeding is judgment for better traits while natural selection is when only the well-suited traits are passed on, not necessarily the desired traits.
- Summarizes a study conducted in an urban surgical center in india by dr. bharathi v. hiremath, leader of the surgical unit in the department of general surgery at m.s. ramaih medical college.
- Opines that natural selection is not the best pathway for human civilization.
- Explains that a poll conducted by time on selective breeding came out with 46 percent of parents supporting the ideology of designer babies.
- Argues that there will be a lack of genetic diversity because there would be the same traits in every child, but this is simply untrue.
- Explains that not all parents would want the same exact traits for their child because each and every parent is entitled to a variety of opinions that rarely overlap with each other.
- Explains that not every parent is the same. each could potentially be from a different culture, environment, and/or background.
- Explains lebanon valley college's article that states that california alone allocated 18 million dollars to the mentally handicapped and this figure was not including social security, medicaid, and housing.
- Argues that those who argue that the world's population will become too large are fooling themselves.
- Explains that palomar college supports the idea that people can genetically modify crops. gregor mendel was able to selectively cross-pollinate plants with particular traits and observe the outcome over generations.
- Opines that since scientists have performed genetic changes on development to certain specimens for research or beneficial profit, human genetic change could also prove to be beneficial.
- Explains that many people are getting a flu shot (modified virus) in order to not get infected by the flu. genetically modifying human embryos could also be accomplished in the near future.
- Explains that genetically modifying viruses and human embryos is another step in the science field to improve the human race.
- Explains that eugenics is not some far-fetched idea that is unregulated and is going to be implemented without any specific rules or regulations.
- Explains that it can be checked and verified; it must have a desirable net worth in the scientists’ views.
- Opines that if a particular eugenics procedure does not meet these tests and many others, it will simply not be in use until an acceptable compromise is reached for human society.
- Describes mrs. terra's technique of mitochondrial dna replacement therapy in an interview with an ap biology teacher at a high school.
- Argues that those who argue that since adolf hitler and the nazis practiced eugenics, it will always be bad, are deceiving themselves.
- Argues that vegetarians would be bad people because hitler himself was a vegetarian.
- Explains that simply attributing a characteristic that once appeared on someone to another subject or topic is in other words, stereotyping.
- Opines that most people were eager for a wider spectrum of prenatal genetic tests, as long as they were for disease.
- Analyzes smith's article, "genetic testing yes, ‘designer babies’ no.' a majority of respondents said they would screen for mental retardation, deafness, blindness and heart disease.
- Explains that many human beings in the world today are continuously passing away due to a lack of action — about 150,000 people daily.
- Opines that parents should have the freedom to select traits to their liking for their offspring.
- Opines that in countries like china, where each couple is limited to one child per family, this method works fairly well in self-containing the population.
- Opines that a common axiom that many people forget is to not judge books by their cover. parents should be allowed to screen for diseases so that they know if their unborn child will have any disease or disorder.
1195 wordsRead More - The Controversial Topic of Genetic Testingexplanatory essayGenetic testing has become a highly controversial issue among both the general population and the scientific community. It is a process that exposes a person’s entire genome sequence, allowing it to be read and evaluated to identify potential risks for genetic diseases or diseases that could be passed onto offspring (Holt Productions, 2012). With thousands of genetic tests already being used, and more being established, it seems logical to put this growing technology to use. Some agree that it is a person’s right to know and understand his or her genetic makeup. However, others argue that, despite the benefits of genetic testing, caution should be used to carefully inspect the risks associated with this new technology.
In this essay, the author
- Describes the guidelines for diagnosis of cystic fibrosis in newborns through older adults.
- Describes holt productions, nova, and pbs home video's cracking your genetic code.
- Explains the national library of medicine's genetics home reference. what is genetic testing?
- Explains that genetic testing has become a highly controversial issue among both the general population and the scientific community.
1033 wordsRead More - The Genetic Screening Debatecomparative essayThe Genetic Screening Debate Within the past thirty years, researchers have found strong evidence linking genes and disease. The development of predictive genetic tests followed shortly after the isolation of certain candidate genes. Although predictive genetic screening is only available for a handful of diseases, its effects and ramifications have become hotly debated issues in a wide range of areas, from government to religion. The debate began in the 1993 when researchers isolated the BRCA1 gene, which is associated with increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that proponents believe that people from high-risk families can gain many benefits from knowing whether or not they carry a genetic mutation.
- Describes the biology of genetic testing, and then discusses the pros and cons of it.
- Concludes that genetic tests do not provide definitive results and therefore should not be used.
- Explains that genetic testing for cancer is here, whether we need it or not.
1835 wordsRead More - The Benefits of Genetic Researchexplanatory essayFor as long as mankind has walked the Earth, there have always been things standing in its way; things scientists have taken centuries to try and understand. Finding the key to why someone has a pre-disposition to cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart problems, or even skin conditions like psoriasis, lays within their genetic make-up. Many remain reserved on the subject and insist that the risk of genetic testing isn’t worth the reward, though there is much evidence to the contrary. The debate on the benefits of genetic research and what they can do to help mankind has been argued with the help of extensive scientific testing, anonymous surveys, and rulings from our own Federal Government.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that genetic testing isn't worth the reward, but the debate on the benefits of genetic research has been argued with the help of scientific testing, anonymous surveys, and rulings from our own federal government.
- Explains that people are hesitant about genetic research for several reasons, including the invasion of privacy and the negative effects it could have on their lives.
- Explains that stem cell research is an area largely unexplored because of all the red tape and stigma surrounding it, but these regenerative miracles could be the foundation of new milestones in medicine.
- Opines that genetic research is a wonderful scientific advancement, one that people need to recognize and embrace.
- Describes the beliefs and attitudes towards participating in genetic research. the national institute of general medical sciences.
907 wordsRead More - The Pros of Prenatal Genetic Testingopinion essayThe Pros of Prenatal Genetic Testing Many medical advances are being made today in the area of genetics. One of the most talked about is prenatal genetic testing. The purpose of prenatal genetic testing is to obtain information on a baby's health before they are born. This new technology will definitely improve the quality of human life. Diseases will be diminished and through new advances some diseases might even be eliminated.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that prenatal genetic testing will improve the quality of human life by obtaining information on a baby's health before they are born.
- Explains that many people have a negative outlook on prenatal genetic testing because they are not educated on the goals and actual applications of the technology.
- Explains the medical advances being made feasible by genetic testing. understanding genes in the developing human will help doctors understand the nature of genetic diseases and may lead to countless other medical breakthroughs.
- Opines that prenatal genetic testing is to improve life through good health.
- Opines that prenatal genetic testing will also benefit society as a whole. if there are less people born with health problems the cost of health care will be lower.
- Opines that prenatal genetic testing can positively impact life, and that medical advances that are discovered and made possible will definitely improve life.
468 wordsRead More - The Pros and Cons of Genetic Testingexplanatory essayIn 2003, the Human Genome Project was completed. The project was an international research effort whose ultimate goal was to sequence the human genome and identify its genes. Upon completion, the Human Genome Project provided a complete sequence of the nearly 3 billion base pairs in the human genome. By essentially creating a blueprint of what makes a healthy human, we know what a normal, un-mutated genome looks like. That being said, genetic testing is now available to essentially anyone. While genetic testing may put us a great advantage scientifically, it could also be a set-back. Genetic testing is really helpful in medical circumstances but in situations where a person just wants to know what their genes say about them, it can cause unnecessary stress on a family and give families information they are not able to accept or interpret.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that prenatal testing is offered during pregnancy to diagnose disease in fetuses that are at risk for certain diseases. tay-sachs disease is a fatal disease that results in destruction of the nervous system.
- Opines that genetic testing can be justified for medical purposes, but home tests are unanswered questions and may hurt the consumer.
- Explains that false negatives and false positives can lead to further tests if a person is concerned about something. an at-home test is not possible because no further testing can be done.
- Explains that genetic testing can be stressful for a family, since the markers for the diseases are well-known.
- Explains that when angelina jolie's doctor found that she had a gene that increased her risk of breast cancer, she went on to live life without ever developing it.
- Explains that genetic testing is a growing trend in the medical field right now.
- Explains that genetic testing is available for those who believe they may be carriers for certain diseases, but the risk is significantly higher in people of ashkenazi jewish descent and in non-jewish french canadians.
- Explains the psychological toll that genetic testing can take on a person, such as when testing for huntington's disease.
- Explains that as research of genetic testing grows, so do the pros and cons.
2069 wordsRead More - Human Genetic Engineeringanalytical essayRecently, a project by scientists, The Human Genome Project, has come to completion. This project took years of compiled knowledge and advancement in technology to be able to successfully map out a sequence of three billion nucleotides of the human genome. With this step in the right direction, scientists located genes for various traits on our chromosomes, thus allowing for future testing determining whether genomes contain sequences associated with specific diseases. Embryo screening, also recognized as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) allows for detection of diseases without waiting to undergo ...
In this essay, the author
- Argues that genetic engineering can modify the gene carrying the disease. kant and mill believe determining the fates of our future generation is unethical.
- Describes the human genome project, a project that took years of compiled knowledge and advancement in technology to map out the sequence of three billion nucleotides of the human genome.
- Explains that preimplantation genetic diagnosis (pgd) is performed through the extraction of a single cell from an eight-cell embryo.
- Argues that germ-line engineering is ethically immoral because future generations would not consent to be genetically engineered.
- Analyzes how martin gunderson discusses the difference between individual autonomy and moral autonomy in his book "genetic engineering and the consent of future persons."
- Explains that moral agents can formulate and reflect on moral principles, notice the morally relevant features of various situations, provide moral justifications for a range of actions, and respond with appropriate moral feelings.
- Explains that gunderson says that moral autonomy can offer sympathy and compassion. moral agents have greater ability to judge what is right and wrong for everyone.
- Analyzes how kant supports moral autonomy by defining categorical imperative. he would not support human genetic engineering because he would deem that there is an ulterior motive, making it immoral.
- Opines that people would take advantage of human genetic engineering by changing other genes not for health reasons, but for the sake of "improvement."
- Explains that genetic engineering for appearance improvement is unnecessary and questions the morality of these actions. it is similar to the concept of undergoing surgery for cosmetic intentions.
- Explains that the greatest happiness principle in mill's utilitarianism does not qualify.
- Explains that genetic engineering and the consent of future persons. theoretical medicine and bioethics 28.2 (2008): 87-102.
1350 wordsRead More - Haemochromatosis Essayopinion essayIn the field of medicine, diagnosis and management are initiated by the presence of symptoms. Nevertheless, a number of technological advancements allow for an individuals disease susceptibility to be identified, through DNA-based diagnostic testing. Although seen as the “holy grail” in disease prevention and management, DNA testing raises issues that can lead to widespread disapproval amongst the public.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that dna-based diagnostic testing is seen as the holy grail in disease prevention and management, but raises issues that can lead to widespread disapproval amongst the public.
- Explains that hereditary haemochromatosis (hh), an autosomal recessive disorder, can be treated effectively and prevented if identified early.
- Explains that iron is released from transferrin when the compound binds with the hepatocyte surface, which reduces the amount of iron being released by the complex.
- Explains that most hh cases are associated with missense mutations in the hfe gene, located on chromosome 6p.
- Explains that the variable frequency of the condition means a great contrast in penetrance, indicating that other factors, other than homozygosity for hfe mutations contribute to the development of hh.
- Explains that haemochromatosis can develop into a serious health complication, often leading to early death. genetic testing through dna-based diagnostic tests such as pcr and rflp is critical.
- Explains that genetic screening is a great asset in identifying patients at high risk of developing hh, but it divides opinions. the arguments for and against it can be divided into ethical parameters such as autonomy and fairness.
- Opines that a positive test for heterozygosity is beneficial or prejudicial, depending on the individual's rationale.
- Opines that the hh test can be considered fair for everyone involved, as a choice on whether to test one's own dna is given well in advance of the test.
- Opines that a major interest group in genetic screening is the perspective of one's family.
- Explains that they informed their family about hh, knowing that their risks of having the mutation were slim to none. they took on a deontological approach, ensuring they were well informed about the disorder, from the consequences to its penetrance.
- Explains that many religious groups oppose genetic screening, arguing that it means humanity has taken up the mantle of god. roman catholics are particularly against it, as things like foetal screening may lead to the termination of the pregnancy.
- Explains that a religious individual may feel obligated to take the deontological approach and not be tested as their religious beliefs completely disregard such testing.
- Opines that genetic screening is beneficial to the general public, but the public views it as a financial drain and psychological nuisance.
- Concludes that genetic screening for hh can be approached from many interest groups, each with their own contrasting view, based on their rational.
1982 wordsRead More - Genetic Testinganalytical essayGenetic Testing The technologies available to aid in diagnosing genetic diseases and disorders have developed extraordinarily over the years. As a result, one topic up for discussion is how the technology should be used in the realm of diagnosing children before birth, mainly, using it to selectively screen embryos for genetic diseases. Leon Kass is one author who opposes genetic testing. He provides two main reasons why he feels it is morally wrong to use genetic screening on unborn children.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that those affected with down's syndrome will suffer tremendously, including socially and emotionally. it is a chromosomal abnormality that results from faulty eggs or sperm.
- Argues that kass's second point is that we easily slide from possession to identity when we describe an individual, but he is wrong about the reasons behind it.
- Analyzes leon kass' persuasive argument against genetic testing. he provides examples of how those suffering from genetic diseases are later selected against will suffer significant emotional distress and social alienation.
- Explains that leon kass opposes the use of genetic screening on unborn children.
- Analyzes how kass believes genetic testing is morally wrong. he believes that children born with a genetic disorder will be treated differently by their parents and others.
1262 wordsRead More - Persuasive Essay On Genetic Testingexplanatory essayIn recent years, genetic testing has become a popular topic in the media. Usually involving cheek swabs, blood samples, or amniotic fluid samples, the procedure is relatively simple and can help diagnose genetic disorders, determine ideal medication types, or simply determine the patient’s heritage. It has saved many lives from cancer and other afflictions, but to say that genetic testing is always the correct choice is false. There are many issues with the tests, considering that they are new to the medical world. Genetic testing is mostly harmful because of privacy concerns, how underdeveloped it is, and the risk of it pushing a mother to abort her child.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that genetic testing has saved many lives from cancer and other afflictions, but to say that it is always the correct choice is false. genetic testing is harmful because of privacy concerns, how underdeveloped, and the risk of pushing a mother to abort her child.
- Explains that until the genetic nondiscrimination act (gina) was passed in 2008, employers could deny people jobs and insurance companies could raise rates solely based on a person’s genetic makeup.
- Opines that genetic testing is too widely available, and until there are more restrictions it is probably best to not get tested.
- Explains that dna testing has only been around since the mid-1980’s, so it is still underdeveloped.
- Explains that genetic testing is the most well-known use for finding disorders in a fetus. it seems strange that people rely on tests like this before they even see the child and can know for sure if they have any disorders.
- Opines that taking a genetic test is risky and that companies can publicise or use the results against the patient, even though this is illegal.
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