1. Stem Cells & Cloning 3/23/05
Bio Ethics
Timeline and
Controversies

2. Stem Cells & Cloning 3/23/05
What is Bio-Ethics?
• The study of the ethical and moral
implications of new biological
discoveries and biomedical
advances, as in the fields of genetic
engineering and drug research
• Examples?

3. Stem Cells & Cloning 3/23/05
Why Bioethics?

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Current Bioethical Issues
 Check the local news paper
 Stem cells (state, national, international)
 Genetically Engineered Organisms
 Knowing your genes
 In vetro fertilization – choosing your child's
genes and characteristics
 Chemicals exposures – human health
 Environmental health

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“The Commons”
The Tragedy of the Commons
By Garrett Hardin, Science, 1968

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"Biology combined with diverse
humanistic knowledge forging a
science that sets a system of
medical and environmental
priorities for acceptable survival.“
Global Bioethics (1988)
Bioethics
-------- 1911 - 2001 --------
Van Rensselaer Potter

7. Stem Cells & Cloning 3/23/05
1860’s - Scientific method in medicine, Gregor Mendel
1928 - Penicillin discovered – widely used WWII
1920’s - Lead in gasoline, lead in paint
1931 - 30 states had sterilization laws on books
1932 - Tuskegee syphilis study initiated
1947 - Nuremberg - The Doctors Trial
1952 - First open heart surgery & Chlorpromazine
1953 - Structure of DNA – Watson & Crick
60’s - Thalidomide, mercury, chronic hemodialysis,
amniocentesis, informed consent, IRB’s
70’s - Hastings Center founded, bioethics defined,
Tuskegee noticed
Ethics and Science

8. Stem Cells & Cloning 3/23/05
1973 – Roe V. Wade Unrestricted access to abortion
1978- First Test Tube ever born
80’s - Recombinant microorganism could be patented,
lead is harmful to developing brain
90’s - molecular biology, sequencing of human
genome (other species), Jurassic Park
1996- Dolly the sheep is the first Mammal ever cloned
00’s - US stem cell research restricted
2003- Human Genome project complete
? - Human cloned?
Ethics and Science

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Human Clones?
Are there human clones?
Yes – Identical Twins
(Time 2.19.01)

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Cloning Defined
• What is cloning?
• Asexual reproduction
• Examples?
• Bacteria, fungus
• Plants – cutting – potato
• Farm animals

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Cloning Dolly
1997 - 2003
(Roslin Institute http://www.roslin.ac.uk/library/)

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Cloning A Sheep
(Roslin Institute http://www.roslin.ac.uk/library/)

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IVF – In Vitro Fertilization
 Baby conceived in a test tube and
implanted in a Uterus
 Available since 1986
 About 100,000 IVF kids in U.S.
 Often creates extra embryos some
would like to use for Stem Cell
research.
 U.S. - About 400,000 frozen embryos
(unregulated)
 England – 52,000 (regulated by
government)

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Controversies:
Should a mother be legally liable for
drinking or doing drugs while
pregnant? This of course would
cause harm to their unborn child.
Opinion?

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Controversies:
• Should you be allowed to genetically
modify your children before they are
born to prevent disease?
• What about to change eye color,
make them taller, stronger, smarter,
better behaved?
• Opinion:

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Controversies:
• Should college students be forced to
get the meningitis vaccine?
• Opinion

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Controversies:
• Should food and chemical corporations
genetically modify food to yield more
product, make food more nutritious, or
make food taste better? Would you eat
this food?
• Opinion

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Controversies:
• Should people be allowed to sell their
extra kidney or a portion of their liver to
a person in need of a transplant? This is
currently illegal
• Opinion