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Emerging Issues
Research Integrity and Bioethics in Relation to Fertility
Samantha Dahmen
HCS 578
Dr. Mary Granoff
University of Phoenix
November 10, 2011
Research Integrity and Bioethics in Relation to Fertility
There is much controversy today around genetics testing when it comes to how the testing is done, what the test is for, whom or what is being tested and what will the test change. Knowing how genetics testing is used, who regulates it, the risks and benefits of the testing, the ethical dilemmas, the types of tests available, and the global competition will be brought into the spotlight in the following paper.
How is Genetic Testing Used
In the past scanning genes for any disease-linked alterations seemed to be unknown to most Americans. An increasing number of individuals who have a family history of a disease may now have the opportunity, through the availability of a blood test, which can reveal any inherited risks for medical conditions. In gene tests, scientists are able to scan a patient's DNA sample for mutated sequences. With the development of In-Vitro Fertilization paired with embryo micromanipulation techniques and DNA amplification technology (polymerase chain reaction or PCR) has led to the ability to determine genetic diagnoses in very early human embryos prior to implantation of the embryo in the uterus. This process is called Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis or (PGD). In this process, a couple (two individuals) in which one or both partners carry a genetic mutation undergoes In Vitro Fertilization to create several early embryos. A single cell is removed from the embryo once it has achieved an eight-cell stage (two days after fertilization in the laboratory). The nuclear material containing the DNA from this cell is then put through the DNA amplification process to make millions of copies of the gene that may contain the mutation. The amplified DNA is then tested to determine whether or not the embryo from which the DNA was...