Perfection: realistic or chimerical?
Have you ever imagined what a perfect world would entail? How would humans, one of the universe’s most flawed creatures, adapt a demeanor of perfection? With science continuously evolving at a rapid pace, the foreign concept of “perfect humans” is no longer an absurd idea, but rather a realistic expectation. Scientists are declaring genetically modified humans possible through the introduction of “designer babies.” What is a designer baby? A designer baby is an embryo which undergoes genetic alteration to ensure intelligence, beauty, sex, or freedom from disease. Creating such a human involves using InVitro Fertilization to fertilize the female’s eggs with sperm in a test tube. The parents choose the sperm they desire to fertilize the egg, determining the sex and genes of the offspring. After the embryos begin to develop, they are screened for genetic diseases and only the selected embryos are inserted into the mother’s womb, creating a dream child (Walker). Another technique for preventing genetic disorders may be done through germ line therapy. With germ line therapy, the faulty segments of DNA are identified and replaced with healthy DNA while the infant is in the womb. This process has been successfully tested on animals, but remains illegal to perform on humans. The cost of advance reproductive technology varies but adds up to be very expensive (Walker). Is it ethically acceptable to design one’s own child? What about the citizens who cannot afford to have the procedure done? How is a child going to react to being scientifically created to be perfect? The public floods scientists with questions about the truth behind designer babies. Science has exceeded limits unimaginable and continues to push boundaries. Genetically designing one’s own offspring upsets the balance and spontaneity of the natural world. Carrying a child is a precious privilege; one should possess admiration and awe for his or her child, despite genetic flaws. The development of designer babies should be forbidden for it would create a strain on society, surface religious and ethical controversies, and produce self-worth issues among individuals directly and indirectly effected by the alteration. As advances in medicine continue to increase, expenses also increase. Creating a genetically altered baby is an expensive procedure to have performed. InVitro fertilization costs roughly around $20,000 (Twenge). Consequently, designer babies are not for the poor. Allowing individuals the choice of selecting what genes their child possesses will separate the affluent from the lower class citizens (Baird). Also, the children who undergo genetic alterations will have higher success rates than those children naturally conceived. Employers will favor the genetically enhanced beings as opposed to the “ordinary” beings. Society would be divided economically, while it would also be divided genetically (“The Embryo Project Encyclopedia”). The idea of designer babies not only disrupts the natural flow of society; genetic alterations arise great religious and ethical controversies. Regardless of one’s belief in a higher power, every person is equipped with a moral compass. The concept of genetically modifying an unborn child to create the perfect son or daughter straddles the line between right and wrong. Should one not accept his or her child as they are? Will the obsession of perfection take over? (Iredale). Designing a baby is unethical because it mocks the idea of an …show more content…
There is an organization created for the primary purpose of organ donation. The United Network for Organ Sharing was established in 1977 to increase organ exchange between facilities close or distant. UNOS is equipped with a computerized list of transplant recipients and donors. The database scans all of its files to identify matching tissue and blood types between an available donor and the qualifying recipients. The system then narrows the selection down by considering the medical urgency of the patient’s condition, the geographical location of the two patients, and the expected benefits of the inflicted patient. Millions of lives are saved every day through the aid of UNOS (“Home | UNOS.”). Unfortunately, many parents allow emotions to obscure their judgement; they act hastily in attempts to give their child the greatest outcome possible without weighing the potential consequences. Couples fashion the miraculous idea of conceiving a child to save an existing child, neglecting to consider the actual desire for another family
Have you ever imagined what a perfect world would entail? How would humans, one of the universe’s most flawed creatures, adapt a demeanor of perfection? With science continuously evolving at a rapid pace, the foreign concept of “perfect humans” is no longer an absurd idea, but rather a realistic expectation. Scientists are declaring genetically modified humans possible through the introduction of “designer babies.” What is a designer baby? A designer baby is an embryo which undergoes genetic alteration to ensure intelligence, beauty, sex, or freedom from disease. Creating such a human involves using InVitro Fertilization to fertilize the female’s eggs with sperm in a test tube. The parents choose the sperm they desire to fertilize the egg, determining the sex and genes of the offspring. After the embryos begin to develop, they are screened for genetic diseases and only the selected embryos are inserted into the mother’s womb, creating a dream child (Walker). Another technique for preventing genetic disorders may be done through germ line therapy. With germ line therapy, the faulty segments of DNA are identified and replaced with healthy DNA while the infant is in the womb. This process has been successfully tested on animals, but remains illegal to perform on humans. The cost of advance reproductive technology varies but adds up to be very expensive (Walker). Is it ethically acceptable to design one’s own child? What about the citizens who cannot afford to have the procedure done? How is a child going to react to being scientifically created to be perfect? The public floods scientists with questions about the truth behind designer babies. Science has exceeded limits unimaginable and continues to push boundaries. Genetically designing one’s own offspring upsets the balance and spontaneity of the natural world. Carrying a child is a precious privilege; one should possess admiration and awe for his or her child, despite genetic flaws. The development of designer babies should be forbidden for it would create a strain on society, surface religious and ethical controversies, and produce self-worth issues among individuals directly and indirectly effected by the alteration. As advances in medicine continue to increase, expenses also increase. Creating a genetically altered baby is an expensive procedure to have performed. InVitro fertilization costs roughly around $20,000 (Twenge). Consequently, designer babies are not for the poor. Allowing individuals the choice of selecting what genes their child possesses will separate the affluent from the lower class citizens (Baird). Also, the children who undergo genetic alterations will have higher success rates than those children naturally conceived. Employers will favor the genetically enhanced beings as opposed to the “ordinary” beings. Society would be divided economically, while it would also be divided genetically (“The Embryo Project Encyclopedia”). The idea of designer babies not only disrupts the natural flow of society; genetic alterations arise great religious and ethical controversies. Regardless of one’s belief in a higher power, every person is equipped with a moral compass. The concept of genetically modifying an unborn child to create the perfect son or daughter straddles the line between right and wrong. Should one not accept his or her child as they are? Will the obsession of perfection take over? (Iredale). Designing a baby is unethical because it mocks the idea of an …show more content…
There is an organization created for the primary purpose of organ donation. The United Network for Organ Sharing was established in 1977 to increase organ exchange between facilities close or distant. UNOS is equipped with a computerized list of transplant recipients and donors. The database scans all of its files to identify matching tissue and blood types between an available donor and the qualifying recipients. The system then narrows the selection down by considering the medical urgency of the patient’s condition, the geographical location of the two patients, and the expected benefits of the inflicted patient. Millions of lives are saved every day through the aid of UNOS (“Home | UNOS.”). Unfortunately, many parents allow emotions to obscure their judgement; they act hastily in attempts to give their child the greatest outcome possible without weighing the potential consequences. Couples fashion the miraculous idea of conceiving a child to save an existing child, neglecting to consider the actual desire for another family