Personal Touch

          The whole reason I got into the topic of genetic engineering of humans was due to my cousin, Shauna. With genetic engineering, one of the disease related processes includes the treatment of infertility among women. They are able to go into the mitochondria of the woman, take out mitochondrial genes which are responsible for part of the embryotic development within an egg, test those genes, then re-insert mitochondrial genes with the desired DNA to allow fertility. Basically, they change the DNA within the mitochondria of the woman so that she can bear children. Shauna is, as of now, considered a high risk individual for infertility. She was the one to discover this treatment and is considering the process. When I researched further, I discovered that the part of the process where they re-insert the preferred mitochondrial DNA into the woman, it is not in fact just genes which are being inserted. They are the healthy mitochondrial genes from another woman. Her genes are then put into the developing embryos. So what it all comes down to is that the baby will form with the genes of two mothers and one father. I am worried about this for Shauna. What if her child has more of the looks of the "donate" mother? What if the child inherits more of the genetic makeup and psychological temperament of the other woman? When I told Shauna of this, she researched further and began to believe me. Avoiding the possibility of a child with different looks or behavior than her own or her husbands at all cost, she is pushing to  hopefully find another possible method. She told me if it comes down to no other way, she would be willing to take the risk just so she could be given the miracle of bearing a child herself, and not having to adopt.
Genetic engineering harbors many possibilities and beneficial procedures, including giving my cousin the chance to have children when not genetically capable.

construction of my presentation

          I have finally figured out the way in which i will present my topic along with my thesis. My thesis is, well since the technology and the whole process of nondisease purpose genetic engineering/doping/therapy is still unknown and little practiced, society needs to shut down the possibility of eugenic nondisease genetic engineering before it can even start. My personal opinion is that we should never accept an idea within our norm/culture that harbors such great consequences so we must never allow it to take off. So with that finally established, i will begin the presentation with a brief history with who started and developed the idea and process.

• Eugenics began with Thomas Malthus and Herbert Spencer who studied the poor, criminal, and mentally ill people within the 19th century They believed genetic errors caused these conditions and ignored social pressures. It reached its peak in the US during pre-WWII when many believed curing these social problems was to curtail reproduction. Hitler and his Nazi regime were the true masters of the turning this process cursed with negative consequences soon to come as they would test on "inferiors" and euthanize the insane and mentally deficient as to get rid of the undesirable genes.

• Genetic Engineering in humans is used for disease and nondisease purposes. Since both are still in their beginning stages of awareness, most disease and non disease testing consists of the the discovering of disease-based genes, traits, and behaviors harbored within the genetic makeup of our bodies. While testing for disease-based genes such as multiple schlorosis, cystic fibrosis and others falls under disease based testing, traits and behaviors and lining up more with nondisease testing. The good of disease based genetic engineering comes in two forms, somatic and germaline in order to prevent, treat, and cure conditions. Somatic is modification without changing the embryo but the desired DNA is placed into a virus cell then into the body to reproduce in the body to produce the desired traits and eliminate the diseases as named above from further multiplication of the diseased cells within the patient only and it is not passed onto the offspring. Germaline consists of preimplantation of embryos which has the capability of affecting generations to come and not just one individual; it gives the ability to test and prevent the spread of a certain conditions to presymptomatic patients. Disease based testing, although efficient and productive in the scientific/medical world, as given scientists and society ideas to go further and discover more about genes, finding ways to alter them for non-condition preventive reasons. It is one thing to be curious to find out the possible hereditary traits, behaviors, athleticism, and temperaments but to desire to enhance and alter these genes for one's own beneficial use is what the nondisease testing has become.

• Not only have we genetically modified foods, plants, natural resources for them to develop into stronger, more productive, and faster growing products but now we want to add humans to that list? The ways in which  the nondisease testing has developed are in the forms of athlete gene doping, cloning, and creating designer babies. (i wont again explain what these are because i already have, but ill include what they are within my presentation) The bad effects and future consequences of this type of testing can and will lead to prejudice because only the rich will be able to afford the process, discrimination of inferior and superior-altered humans, unfair athletism, unknown and potentially dyer health risks, and psychological downfalls within society because those who discover they possess the inferior, lame gene can become depressed and feel insecure within society. Most of these effects have not yet happened so that is where my argument/thesis comes into play. although they havent occured, like the prejudice, "perfect people", discrimination, and disastrous health effects, we cannot let them ever have the possibility to occur. Society cannot accept the idea. I am not against disease based testing, and gene modification because it prevents so many health defects but it has gotten out of hand and branched out into nondisease testing,engineering, and therapy which we must stop. Society must  accept, stick, and support to just disease based engineering so that we focus  solely on preventing, lessening, and curing diseases. Otherwise, the takeoff and expansion of nondisease based testing will only create a moral disease for immortality and perfection desires. We have already genetically modified most products, patented life, we do not need to further engineer humans like we do for plants. we are made the way we were supposed to be. The process and effects are still unknown and mostly unavailible so lets keep it that way!