Introduction:

It is astonishing at how fast researchers are finding and discovering new algorithms and technologies in order to speed up the progress of biology. One previously discussed topic which illustrates this is the human genome project.

Many researchers argue that the human genome project once solved will be a great advantage to all people, because once we know which genes control which diseases we would be able to diagnose people and caution them that they might have such a disease and then we would be able to cure them.

Your Genes, Your Choices

However, Catherine Baker, author of Your Genes, Your Choices, raises some important questions through the use of story type scenarios. For example in the first chapter of her book she writes:

Martin came home from school the other day with a black eye and broken glasses. Another boy had called him a freak and punched him.
Martin is albino, which means that his skin has no color. He is very pale and his hair is white. His eyes are pink and he doesn't see very well.
Martin's mother loves her son very much just the way he is. But when she sees other children tease him, she wishes he were not so different. If he weren't, then perhaps he wouldn't be picked on so much. It makes her wonder why everyone can't be the same.
Do you ever wonder about this yourself? If it were up to you, would you want everyone to be alike? (http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/publicat/genechoice/1_martin.html)


According to the goals and predictions of the Human Genome Project, scientists will be able to determine what gene is responsible for pigmenting the skin. Thus, doctors probably would be able to give Martin pigmentation in his skin. However, Baker continues to argue that the pigmentation is not really a threatening disease, so why should he have it changed? This is why she puts in the argument of having everyone as equally alike. Baker also asks the question of where do you draw the line for which abnormalities or undesirable characteristics get treated.

To what extent should we use this reseach? This question was also raised in another story that she did which involved two children who wished to be taller. Both were children but both were short for different reasons. In one case, one of the kids was short because he had short parents; however, the other one had tall parents but was short because there was a mutation in his genes which caused a lack of the protein which he needed to grow.

This here involves the some of the same questions addressed in the first story, particularly where should we draw the line on treatment of abnormalities, since the boys will not die from being short, it is merely cosmetic, and how much do we want for everyone to be the same, and for there to be a lack of variety.

Another question that is raised is drawing the line in another respect with consideration to the child who has tall parents, since he naturally was supposed to be tall but wasn't because of a mutation in his DNA, but then one could argue, is it also the other kids fault for having parents that are short???

Detecting fatal diseases before they start

In this book other questions were raised by the different scenarios given by different people. For example, one talked about the possibility of being able to detect Hutchingson's disease, which is definitely passed by one gene, and someone is not known to have the disease until late in their years. If we test for this disease and people end up having it, Baker argues that it could immediately dis-motivate people from having a productive life, with such aspects as getting married and such forth, since they know that they are going to die in the middle age. For example, say I found out I have HD, I might think to myself, "well, why educate myself and get married? I'm going to die anyways so all I'm going to do is waste my time and leave someone who I love deserted somewhere.why should I make someone suffer like that? And why should I dedicate endless hours to get an education, that education is going to me much good for the time I will be here."

On the other hand Baker says that some people will argue that by finding out that they have the disease people will have an optimistic view on themselves, and will do everything in their power to live life to the fullest.

Finding out if you have a "Gene" that contributes to certain illnesses

Nevertheless other questions are raised by other diseases and problems that are found to not have total control over whether or not you have the disease, but are an important influence into whether or not you have the disease. According to the goals of the Human Genome Project, we would also be able to detect these diseases and see if you had the certain gene that increased your chances of getting a certain illness such as diabetes or something else. Researchers argue that the people would then try to live a healthier lifestyle then before, now that they are aware that they are at risk of getting this illness. However, Baker brings in some opinions that are generally not thought of, for example, if the person inherits the disease he could feel that there is nothing he could do about the disease and then he would become disillusioned. Another thing that Baker talks about is how the person could react if the test turns out that he doesn't have a gene that influences your chances for getting a certain gene. The guy might become so careless with his life because he thinks that he will not get the disease that he might contract or develop other illnesses. The other question that Baker asked that might not be thought of too often is when should these tests be made? Should we test children for such illnesses? How do we know that they understand what is going on? These types of tests might be very harmful for children, but some of these tests for certain genes might need to be done at an early age for a good chance of prevention.

Early applications of the Human Genome Project

Other tests that have already begun are prenatal tests. These have been used to find out if the baby has any types of diseases or illnesses before he comes out. In the preliminary story that Baker uses here a couple who is having a baby worries about a child for having cystic fibrosis, since the father had a brother who had the disease. He saw how his brother and his family had suffered tremendously from the disease, which culminated in his death at an early age. He knew that he did not want to go through such a scenario again. For this reason he tested himself to see if he was a carrier of the disease and found out that he was, but when he urged his wife to do so, she did not want to. Such tests have been seen many times before and some have even aborted their children on the basis of gender, and it could be very possible that they the male in this situation would not want to have a baby and abort him because of such disease.

Baker states that prenatal tests are very frequent around the world and that even though the US condemns people who are trying to pick their children like Baker says "like a car" referring to picking hair, eye, and skin color, it occurs outside of the country. These are just some of the scenarios and choices that we definitely need to consider before we take support and release all of this research for commercial purposes.