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Ethical dilemmas with genetic testing
Negative effects of genetic testing
Ethical dilemmas with genetic testing
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People might have different reasons for genetic testing. For some people it may be important to know if they will be diagnosed with a disease in a future or not, some may want to know whether the disease could be prevented or treated. Genetic testing is a type of medical test that can identify changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins. The result of this test can tell the person's chance of developing any genetic disorder. Some cases the cause of the illness could be unknown to the physician. Genetic testing will also help them to determine the cause of the disease and the possible cure.
There are different techniques being used on adults for genetic testing .The most common technique is, blood sample it is mostly used in adults for source of DNA. Blood samples are the most common method for genetic testing. The genesis will put the patient in a select group where all the people in that group had their genome read out by chemical letters. To start this process a nurse will first draw the patient blood, and the sample will be sent to the company name Illumina. They will process the blood and extract its genetic materials. Proteins and fats are washed away, and fibers clump together. The purpose of this process is to access the persons DNA, those fibers are DNA. The DNA will be sheered into fragments to get its sequence. DNA contains chemical known by their first letters, A T C and G. Mutation or damaged genome trace the what kind of disease the person have. After sequencing the decoded genome, the genesis must figure out what it all means, they compare the patient’s genome with thousands of others, mainly by the reference genome. If the genome is different, then it could mean that the change is unique to the patient. Other techn...
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...e. It can help us to take control of our own future. The relief from negative test result could eliminate any need for regular checkups especially for people with cancer history in their family. Positive test result can direct a person towards possible treatments, monitoring or even prevention. There are certain diseases that the doctors do not know what it is or the treatment for it, doctors turn to genetic to find the cause and cure for it and save the patient’s life.
Genetic home reference. (2013). what are the risks and limitations of genetic testing. Retrieved from http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/testing/riskslimitations
National heart, lung, and blood institute. (2011). What is cystic fibrosis? Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cf/ University of Utah. (2013). Cystic Fibrosis. Retrieved from http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/
It helps medics to find a direct genetic cause of the patient’s condition and target it with pharmaceutical or other therapies. The technology is used for the identification of DNA sequences that increase risks of current diseases and disorders; with this information carriers can start to make efforts to prevent them before the development of the problem. The video mentioned 200 actionable genes, structures that have direct links with a specific condition. Knowing about their presence, people have a chance to bring in preventive measures like taking anticoagulants in the case of identification of a thrombogenic gene. The technology led to the significant improvement of diagnostics and personalized treatments. It helped to find a rare, life-threatening mutation in case of Beery twins and assign a drug to a girl (Alexis) that returned her to a normal life. In the case of cancer genome sequencing led to the development of genetic drags, which target essential tumor genes and make malign structures to shrink. The video mentioned a product that works with the BRАF protein that induces cells to uncontrolled division; the drug led to the remission in the patient with metastasizing melanoma. Such treatment was effective in the case of cystic fibrosis. In the case of the breast cancer the technology helps to evaluate the aggressiveness of the condition and make a personalized decision about chemotherapy. The video also mentioned the pre-implantation genetic diagnosis – an early-staged technology that prevents the development of inherited disorders in
I will begin by clearing up some misconceptions and explaining some of the current shortcomings of DNA testing. It is not possible to completely genotype a person "instantly" as in the movie. We are only able to discern the markers of some diseases that are genetically linked. This takes time, is labor intensive, and easy to contaminate. Studies to make the process quicker and cleaner...
At that point in my life, my immune system had been at war with itself for about eight years. My body was killing itself; my kidneys were beginning to shut down. I was severely malnourished because my body could not absorb the nutrients. Conversely, I was overweight due to my body storing everything I ate as fat instead of breaking it down for energy; because of this, I was very lethargic. The new test that was developed saved my life. It was able to determine that I did, in fact, have Celiac Disease, and I would have to maintain a special diet for the remainder of my life.
In Gattaca, the plot focuses on the ethics, the risks, and the emotional impact of genetic testing in the nearby future. The film was released in the 90s; yet in the present, the film does not give the impression of science fiction. Today, genetic testing is prevalent in many aspects of the scientific community. This paper will describe genetic testing, its purpose, diagnostic techniques that use genetic testing, relating Huntington’s disease to genetic testing, and the pros and cons of genetic testing.
Genetic Screening is a medical test that examines ones DNA. It can find mutations in chromosomes, genes, and proteins. These tests can confirm or refute a suspected genetic condition that could become a serious problem for one in the future. They can also help figure out a persons probability of getting certain diseases or sicknesses like cancer or diabetes. ( What is Genetic Testing?, para 1) There is also carrier testing which can be used to see what diseases couples may carry before having children. (What are the benefits of genetic testing? Para 1)
Due to the human genome project and other genetic research, tests for mutation which cause diseases have been developed. The list of these illnesses include several types of cancer. Doctors have estimated that as many as 3,000 diseases are due to mutations in the genome. These diseases include several types of colon cancer in which three different genetic tests have been already developed. Debates have arisen on whether these tests should be used regularly or not. Questions including the patients= rights of privacy and the possibility of loss of health or life insurance have been argued over in both the media and political arena.
Genetic testing involves examining an individual’s DNA and identifying abnormalities within the chemical makeup of specific structures. It, essentially, maps the person’s genome and can be interpreted to predict future issues. By analyzing the chromosome, genes, and even certain proteins, physicians and researchers can find changes that lead to inheritable disorders. These changes can lead to possible diagnosis or cure for the disorder in question. In most cases, genetic testing is used to determine the probability that an individual will develop a certain disorder. It is not used to specifically diagnose a disorder, as there are no techniques that are 100% accurate. Genetic testing techniques do give good evidence to confirm a physician’s findings, but it is not the first act a physician takes to diagnose a disorder. It can narrow a search or rule out a specific disorder very confidently, but making a diagnosis based solely on genetic testing is not an action that a qualified medical professional would consider.
When it comes to genetic diseases and conditions, testing can be very helpful and serve a good purpose. People with diseases that are inheritable to their children are encouraged to be tested. For example, in the article about Jewish testing, it says
First, let's consider the situations in which genetic testing would be beneficial to patients. Genetic testing for diseases that are preventable or treatable could allow individuals to alter their lifestyles so as to treat the disease or reduce their risk of developing the disease. For instance, the E2 version of the APOE gene, which is found on chromosome 19, has been linked to heart disease (Ridley, 1999). Individuals who have two copies of the E2 gene are particularly sensitive to high-fat and high-cholesterol diets. Therefore, a genetic test to determine whether a person has the high-risk version of the APOE gene could inform a person of future health risks, thereby allowing the person to change his diet to help prev...
Before we start discussing how genetic tests are developed, let us discuss how genes can trigger disease. A sound body requires the action of many proteins working together. For a protein to function properly, an intact gene must encode for that specific protein. A mutation describes a gene which has been changed. The most common type of mutation is a single change of a nucleotide of DNA. Other types of mutations include the loss or gain of a nucleotide and the disappearance or multiplication of long segments of DNA. Mutations can have three effects: beneficial, harmful, or neutral. Mutations are beneficial if the fitness of an individual is enhanced. Harmful mutations can either slightly alter a protein, where the protein may still minimally function, or they may totally disable a protein. In this instance, the outcome is not only based on how a mutation alters a protein’s function, but on how important the protein is to the body (Understanding Gene Testing).
Morris, D. T. (1993). Cost containment and reproductive autonomy: Prenatal genetic screening and the American health security act of 1993. American Journal of Law & Medicine, 20, 295-316.
Not only can a negative genetic testing result affect your well-being, but also your ability to obtain health and life insurance. “Genetic testing may permit a much more complete and refined classification of people into risk categories, and so move us further away from sharing the financial burdens of illness and further in the direction of individualized premiums based on individual risk factors ("Genetics And The Moral Mission Of Health Insurance").... ... middle of paper ... ...
Genetic testing is the process of sequencing six billion letters of a human genome to possibly discover genetic differences, such as how cells carry the same genome but at the same time look and function different. Genetic testing is also the process that can give foresight into pathological diseases such as different types of cancer.
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.
Genetic testing has become very popular as technology has improved, and has opened many doors in the scientific community. Genetic testing first started in 1866 by a scientist known as, Gregor Mendel, when he published his work on pea plants. The rest was history after his eyes opening experiments on pea plants. However, like any other scientific discovery, it bought conflicts which caused major controversies and a large population disagreed with the concept of playing with the genetic codes of human beings. Playing God was the main argument that people argument that people had against genetics. genetic testing became one of the major conflicts conflicts to talk about, due to the fact that parents could now have the option of deciding if they