the DNA of model organisms; computerized data collection; storage and handling of the information, addressing related Ethical, Legal, and Social implications.
They recognized that mapping and sequencing the human genome would impact everyone’s life. They questioned how this new genetic information should be interpreted and used, who should have access to it, they are concerned that the information might result in anxiety, stigmatization, discrimination. The Human Genome Project has been used for the cloning of genes responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, retinoblastoma, cystic fibrosis, and neurofibromatosis.
If other diseases like these are isolated, biologists can learn about the gene’s pathology of disorders. For example, before geneticists cloned the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) gene, to confirm the diagnosis was expensive and very uncomfortable, the tests were also inadequate to detect carriers. But now, with only a blood sample, geneticists an detect most mutations associated with DMD rapidly. The genome information can be used to detect any gene mutations likely to happen to future generations of a family.
It helps to predict which individuals have an increase susceptibility to diseases such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes, which result from complex instructions between genes and the environment. “ When biologists compare the human genome with the genes of other organisms, they may gain an insight into molecular evolution including human evolution. ” (New tools for tomorrow’s health research, 1992). Biologists could use the genes to compare to other genes of other species, they may get more information or perhaps even closer to finding out more about the human evolution.
The HGP not only helped in the medical field, but also in technology advancement. Its biggest challenge is to find faster ways to map DNA, which will yield way to faster development, faster technology. HGP provides way for new job opportunities in biotechnology, health care, computing and information storage. As mentioned earlier, gene information may be used to predict sensitivities to various industrial and environmental agents. “The damages of misuse and the potential of personal threats to the personal privacy should not be taken lightly. (to know ourselves. U. S. dept. of health) “Gene transfer should never be undertaken in an attempt to enhance of improve human beings… Somatic cell enhancements engineering would threaten important life values in two ways: it could be medically hazardous, in that risks could exceed the potential benefits and the procedure therefore could cause harm.
And it could be morally precarious, in that it would require moral decisions our society is not now ready to make, and it could lead to an increase in inequality and discriminatory practices. (Genet s and Human Malleability. French Heanderson 2-1990) Using the information provided by Human Genome Project (HGP), a person’s history of Genetic Disorder, insurance will refuse to give him insurance coverage. “Only you have your combination of looks, personality, and behavior. As the saying goes, they bro the mold when you were made! There is no one in the world exactly like you. ” (YOUR GENES, YOUR CHOICES. Bateer). Would like to have someone just like you created artificially? Someone who thinks and acts like you?
What if you have the same interests and have conflicts? Having two of the same person, one being of a laboratory birth is certainly going to unbalance nature. Who has the right to know about the info gained by HGP, when he or she goes for genetic testing? Does a girl at the age of 10 have to know that she has Huntington’s disease? For one second, one might think she is happy and needs to know this information, so she can make important decisions ahead of time. But the fact is she cannot know ahead of time. How will she react to the test results?
She might be too young to cope with it. Also keeping this information secret is hard. If the insurance companies found out about the information they will deny her coverage in their policies. Also to 