CHAPTER 1
1. What is wrong with martin ?
He is an albino.
2. Do you think that Martin should have genetic treatment (if it were possible) to correct his problem? Why or why not?
I think that he should learn to live with this disorder for future references, like if he decided to have a child and the child had the same problem.
3. Do you think Martin should avoid having children in order to not pass along his condition? Why or why not?
I believe that if he wants to have a child, and his significant other would like the child and they both know the risks, then they should have a child. If the child happened to have the disease then and he didn't get any genetic treatment then he could teach his kids what to do in these situations until they are old enough to make they're own bio ethical decision.
4. What is the difference between ethical, legal, and social issues?
Ethical issues are issues that deal with a persons morals. Legal issues deal with what a person can do with the law.
5. Genetics- the study of genes
Pigment- color
Gene- a region of DNA that encodes RNA and is the molecular unit of heredity
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CHAPTER 2
6. Describe the disease Priya's mother had?
The disease that Priya's mother had was something called Huntington's disease. It is fatal and people who have it don't have control in their movements and they tend to have mood changes. They cant even get their food down without chocking.
7. If you were Priya, would you get tested for this disease? Why or Why not?
Yes I would want to get tested for this. I would want to get prepared for the future and know if something like that would happen to me so I could get financially prepared for any help in might need if i do have it.
8. If Priya is tested and found to have the gene for the disease, who else has a right to know? (her family, her employers, her boyfriend...) Explain your answer.
Her family should know because they could provide help if she had the disease. If she is in a long term and committed relationship with her boyfriend then she should tell him too, to in order to give him a chance at a life without a girlfriend who isn't in control of her movements.
9. What are the pros (good points) and cons (bad points) of having this genetic test performed?
The pros of this test that Priya could prepare herself for the potential incoming disease. She could also have a support group prepared for her already. The cons of this is that Priya might take news as a shock and life in fear until the time comes.
10. Chapter Vocabulary
genetic counseling- Help with a persons bio ethics
mutation- permanent alteration of the nucleon-tide sequence
.
Human Genome Project-international scientific research project that determine the sequence of the base pair that made up human DNA
disorder- interruption in a neat arrangement.
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CHAPTER 3
11. What did the doctor tell Howard?
The doctor told Howard that he was
at high risk
for heart disease because of his family history.
12. Why is it that some people who have the gene for a disease, never actually get the disease. List
three possibilities in your answer.
Some people don't develop these genes because they made/ make better life choices than others. A person who has a gene for cancer may never get it if they do not smoke. A person who has a gene for diabetes may never get it if they watch their weight. A person with that has a gene for asthma still may only show mild symptoms if they are around pets.
13. How can creating a genetic profile be helpful to a person?
It can show if there is anything wrong with a person's genes, and if there is to find out whats wrong and find a solution.
14. If the genes are found that cause "criminal behavior", should the police be informed of those
people that have those genes so they can keep an eye on them? Defend your answer
Yes because anything can trigger the gene to go off and for someone to commit a crime. They shouldn't penalize them for it as much but they should take that into consideration before taking them off the prim-aces.
15. Chapter Vocabulary (define)
genetic expression- the way genes react in your body
genetic determinism- determining behaviors and phenomenons based on genes and the conditions or an environment.
behavioral genetics-
a field where people are tested with different genes in different environment.
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CHAPTER 4
16. If you were Mollie, would you have the test to determine if you were a carrier for cystic fibrosis?
Yes I would.
17. What are the symptoms of the disease?
People have a hard time breathing and digesting food.
18. How can reproductive technology increase a couple's chances of having a healthy child?
It can help to find any mutation or disorder in the genes and try to fix it.
19. If Mollie is tested and found to be a carrier for the disease,
do you think the couple should still try to have a child? Why or why
not?
They should have a baby even if Mollie does have this mutation. The baby may have to undergo a few things but it could learn to live and do things differently and still be in the world.
20. If the couple conceives, and a genetic test confirms that the
fetus will have the disease, should the pregnancy be terminated? Explain
your reasons.
No life should be killed due to a mutation. The baby should grow and live life to its full potential. It could learn to life a happy life even though they may have some struggles.
21. How can
ex utero genetic testing help Carlos and Mollie have a healthy child?
It can help by picking out mutated and risky genes to ensure that the baby has little to no problems or mutations.
22. It is possible that in the future, genetic testing on a fetus
could be done to determine other traits, like eye color, intelligence,
or even probability of obesity or alcoholism. What do you think about
this? Would you have your baby tested before it was born? Why or Why
not?
No because I believe that everyone changes and not everything can go the way it is expected or the way it is planned to go.
23. (Vocabulary) What is a DNA Marker?
A DNA marker is a known DNA sequence with know a chromosome.
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CHAPTER 5
24. If you were Donita, would you submit saliva and hair samples to the police to help find the murderer? Why or Why not?
Yes she should cooperate, just to make sure the police knows she didn't kill her friend.
25. List 3 ways in which DNA fingerprints have been used:
The prints could have been used to compare to the killer, to check whether someone is related, and tell the gender of the killer and other characteristics.
26. Why might someone object to submitting a DNA sample, even if they weren't guilty of the crime?
A person might want to just be cooperative, to prove to the police that someone is innocent, to prove someone is guilty, to identify family/ relatives, to prove fatherhood, to identify bodies and soldiers, to uncover history, and to study human evolution.
27. Why might courts throw out this evidence if the mass DNA screening leads to the arrest of a murder suspect?
All that DNA wouldn't be needed for a case that was already solved and this is violating someones privacy.
28. Does a DNA test violate a person's privacy? Who should be responsible for storing information about a person's DNA?
Yes this violates someones privacy, someone could find out a lot of information that another person wouldn't want them to find out. The people responsible for this kind of information is the FBI if you were to ever be arrested or the person being asked for the DNA themselves.
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CHAPTER 6
29. If you were Elsa and John, would you use the hormone on the cows? Why or why not?
No i wouldn't because I would be messing with the natural balance of nature and something could go terribly wrong with this.
30. What kinds of things are being produced by biotech labs? (List at least 3)
There are selective breeding, transgenic plants, and foods that contain vaccines.
31. Why do animal rights activists object to using BGH on cows?
They believe in animals living freely and without human chemicals. BGH messes with the natrual flow of things.
32. Why would some people thing that biotech engineers are "playing God"? Do you think this is true?
They messing with the natural flow of things. Yes I do believe this is true. Patience is a virtue and I believe that everything will come to you if you work for it and have patience and you will be rewarded.
33. Chapter Vocabulary (define)
genetic engineering-
genetic composition by artificial means
selective breeding-humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotype traits
transgenic- denoting an organism that contains genetic material that has been artificially introduced.
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CHAPTER 7
34. Why would Dr Lu feel that one Rico and Tim should be treated differently?
They have two totally different reasons for why they are not growing.
35. Do you think both boys should receive the hormone or just one (or even neither)? Defend your position.
I think the boy that needs the hormone should just receive the hormone because his body was supposed to produce it anyway. The boy who's parents were short should be left alone. He can live like that because his body was naturally made like that because of his parents. His body has the right amount of the hormone already, that is just his height.
36. Why is the term "eugenics" controversial?
This is controversial because the word means to better the quality of human genetics. People start to think that this means that people were born better that other than others.
37. Chapter vocabulary (define)
gene therapy-
is an experimental treatment that uses genes to treat or prevent disease.
germ-line therapy-potential targets for gene therapy (eggs or sperm).
Chapter 6 - John and Elsa Will Profit from Biotech Farming (or will they?)
Chapter 7 - Dr. Lu's Patients Have the Right to Be Tall (or do they?)