Playing God in Medicine Continues to be Acceptable Essay

As a species we’ve always looked for ways to be faster, stronger, smarter, and live longer. Many enhancements we take for granted today; blood transfusions, vaccinations, and birth control, seemed unnatural or immoral when first introduced. Yet over time we’ve become accustomed to these controls over our minds and bodies, and have used them to better ourselves and our world. Imagine a society without disease, cancers, or heredity disorders. Life span would increase and IQ raised. Mental illness eliminated. Alzheimer’s gone. Hereditary problems, like baldness eradicated. Technology exists to diagnose flawed DNA in pre-implantation embryos, empowering humans to create a stronger, healthier child. Scientists place a new/modified gene into a†¦show more content†¦By inserting desired genes into bacterial plasmids and allowing plant cells to take up the foreign DNA, numerous plant species now have the ability to survive harsh conditions such as heat and cold, resist pesticides more effectively, yield more plentiful amounts of edible foods, and pass on their desirable genes to viable offspring. Rice, corn, and tomatoes are good examples of plants that have been modified in this way (Byrne). In fact, the U.S. and Canada are the leading producers of these genetically modified foods (see chart below). Now, the question remains if it is ethically and socially acceptable to implement a similar kind of practice to modify human beings so that they will, in turn, possess the most desired traits and be able to pass them on from generation to generation. You do not have to stop there. Advanced reproductive procedures unite the sperm and egg in a laboratory, in-vitro fertilization. Advanced reproductive techniques involve using InVitro Fertilisation or IVF to fertilise eggs with sperm in test-tubes outside the mothers body in a laboratory. These techniques allow doctors and parents to reduce the chance that a child will be born with a genetic disorder. At the moment it is only legally possible to carry out two types of advanced reproductive technologies on humans. The first involves choosing the type of sperm that will fertiliseShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Debate Over Euthanasia1216 Words   |  5 Pagesliving with agonizing pain.3 During this time period, this choice was commonplace. A few ancient philosophers, who believed that the ending of a human life belonged to the gods only, met it with objection. When the Christian era began, the subject was rarely discussed or practiced because of the strong trust and faith held in God and his divine command. 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