Embryo's Genetic Code And Ethics Essay

The processes involved with editing an embryo’s genetic code are met with both opposition and excitement, depending on which side one chooses to take a stance. Scientists for the medical advancement along with wanting to create a new wave of embryonic enhancements in the future of genetic altering are encouraged by continued progressions in the field. Researchers for the practice believe it is essential to creating savior siblings, enhancing intellectual traits, editing out depression genes, making a more desirable child for a parent if they so desire, and eliminate the risk of inherited illnesses passed to a child. Researchers feel that by editing an embryo’s genetic code, it will then relieve stress on a family from having to cover the financial costs of having a child with disabilities. The experts for the procedure see the practice as making it more achievable to have a child free of deformities or other disabilities, especially for parents that both carry a harmful gene. The scientists also feel the disposal of unwanted embryos is them merely acting in the same way nature would, by creating a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) during a pregnancy.

Protesters against the process stand by the claim that the procedure is unethical.

These researchers believe that by editing the genetic makeup of what could in some eyes be a perfectly normal embryo, to enhance their traits or intelligence, is going against the natural process and human development. Also disagreeing with the way embryos are discarded, stating it’s immoral, considering this to be against biblical founding. Experts against using the advancements for any other reason than to aid in allowing parents to raise a healthy child, also fear the creation of a “super race” in the future. A race where the intellectually advanced members are created to aid the government in some way,

adding:
There is always the looming shadow of eugenics. This was the motivation for some government policies in Europe and the United States in the first half of the twentieth century that included forced sterilizations, selective breeding and "racial hygiene." Techniques that could be used for designing babies will give us dangerous new powers to express our genetic preferences. (Baird, 2007)
There is also a growing fear in the community in opposition of the procedures being used in perceived unethical ways, as they feel it may lead to the unintentional development of new and unknown diseases in the future. The apprehension stems from the concern of the over editing of a child’s genetic makeup, then having that child develop a disease or breed with a person produced by natural means to then bear a child with unknown complications.