Topic: Genetic Screening - Should parents be allowed to perform "genetic screening", selecting healthier or more desirable embryos to give birth to?
Background: What is "genetic screening"? Using In Vitro fertilization (IVF) techniques, an embryo can be made by the fertilization of an egg with a sperm outside the female's body. The resulting embryonic cells can be tested by removing one and screening the DNA complement to ascertain the presence of specific genes. The procedure is already being employed in labs. It can help to identify potentially debilitating illnesses or inherited disorders, and also for the determining the sex of a baby to allow parents carrying a sex-linked disorder gene to procreate without passing on genetic disorders to their children. This technology has brought a host of issues to the forefront of media and science.
YOUR REACTION:
Based on your research, develop an argument FOR or AGAINST Genetic Screening.
Please submit your response to your blog. Be prepared to discuss your argument with the class.