Hey everyone
What's the difference between social and ethical implications?
And what kind of social and ethical implications exist in gene cloning and DNA profiling?
Thanks in advance!
The differences between "social" and "ethical issues can be hard to determine, as they overlap a lot, but here's a brief distinction:
- ethics is about right or wrong actions, for example: breeding and planting GMOs, or claiming genes as intellectual property.
- social issues tend to be more specific towards the effect of an action on people, and society in general, for example: the effects of selling GMOs to the public, stuff like that.
- you can talk about them as if they are a single unit tho, nothing wrong with that.
Here are some social and ethical implications of DNA profiling (+ pros, - cons)
+ regular health monitoring of individuals can be implemented, and preventative action can be taken on individuals with genetic disorders/diseases.
+ couples can plan their pregnancy, and make preparations based on the results of DNA profiling/screening for their child
+ a negative result on screening/profiling in relation to genetic diseases can often reduce emotional stress
- a positive result of a genetic disease may induce stress, and can be an emotional burden
- DNA profiling and genetic screening can hinder with one's privacy
- DNA profiling and genetic screening can often be inconclusive, and data can be difficult to interpret
Social and ethical implications of genetic cloning (and also genetic engineering technology which produces GMOs)
+ producing enhanced crops, and organisms, which translates to technological advancement
+ higher quality of life
+ alleviate poverty (higher yielding crops)
+ reduce the detrimental effects of diseases (check out golden rice, transgenic rice with beta carotene which turns into vitamin A, to aid with vitamin A deficiencies within poorer nations)
- genetically modified organisms or cloned genes may affect ecosystems as gene flow might occur between natural and modified organisms (some genes may result in a selective advantage, which affects the allele frequencies of populations)
- companies might claim segments of genes as intellectual property (unethical), and charge high prices for any research/development involving the specific gene.
- GMOs can affect the production of traditional food, and might or might not be adequate substitutes for these traditional food items in providing the required nutrition.
- thorough, rigorous and independent testing of GMOs are required to ensure that the segments of cloned genes do not affect the quantity of production, and gene flow between modified and natural populations that can lead to devastating consequences.