What Is A Designer Baby?
by Danni Torelle
The phrase designer <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Things-To-Consider-When-Having-A-Baby&id=6952999">babies</a> has raised eyebrows both among scientists and laymen. The debate seem to be rounded more about the ethical consequences of the technology rather than its clinical consequences. Consequently, people keep wondering what is a designer baby all about.
The terminology was first coined by journalist to describe a baby whose genetic makeup has been designed, or selectively chosen. Doctors and biotechnologists screen the embryos and select the desired characteristics. The technologies used are collectively known as reproductive technologies. Therefore, parents can make a baby with genetic composition of their choice.
Reproduction specialists can fuse fertilize the human gametes in test tubes using the InVitro Fertilisation technique. This technique is usually carried out in a laboratory. Children carrying genetic materials that are resistant to disease infection can also be developed using karyomapping. Individuals can also determine different characteristic such as skin color, eye color, intelligence level, body size and other traits that they want their offspring to have.
Scientist believe that with further development in research, they may develop techniques for eliminating hereditary diseases. This would be possible if the faulty segments of a DNA can be identified and replaced by healthy ones. Biotechnologists call this technique germ line therapy. Although the procedure has not been licensed for human trials, it has been successful in animal specimen.
Some experiments of advanced reproductive technologies are, however, already being performed on humans. For example, doctors can selectively choose the sperm used to fertilize the egg and thus govern the inheritable factors and sex of the embryo. Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis techniques are also being performed. This is a practice where the embryo, in the early stages, is screened for inherited abnormalities. Embryos that have been identified to meet the requirements can then be implanted back into the womb.
The creation of test tube children has not been approved officially by The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority. However, scientists have been permitted to carry out alteration of genetic components in both children and adults. The cell gene therapy is now being used to treat different disorders, for example, cystic fibrosis.
There are numerous possibilities that can be achieved by genetic alteration. In fact, there is potential that these procedures alter the human species to irreversible levels. Inheritable genetic modification is one of the techniques used in this field. It modifies genes in early embryos or even in the sperm and eggs. The result is the passage of altered genes to future generations.
There are a number of opinions about this technology because of its moral and biological impacts. The implanted genetic material may cause unpremeditated modifications in the cells. Due to lack of adequate research, the detrimental effects of the modifications have not been established. In addition, every single function in the human body is regulated a number of genes. Therefore, it is difficult to extract a gene that controls a single characteristic.
Social ethics argues that the result of such a technology in the future of humans is that the enhanced species may create a new world order. Because they will be superior to their counterparts, they may control them. Secondly, there is the argument that a child has a right to be a natural birth. Now that there is an understanding to the question what is a designer baby, the debate on whether it should be legalized can be carried forward.
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New Unique Article!
Title: What Is A Designer Baby?
Author: Danni Torelle
Email: dirasu.694746.1@articlesamurai.com
Keywords: Designer Baby,Designer Babies,Baby,Pregnancy,Parenting,Parent,InVitro Fertilization,InVitro Fertilisation,IVF
Word Count: 571
Category: Babies
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