WHY IS DNA'S DISCOVERY IMPORTANT?
By knowing the exact sequence of DNA we can prevent some diseases. Some people have mutations in their DNA that make them susceptible to certain diseases. By isolating these mutations we can identify people who are at high risk and take preventative measures. You can also use the sequence of DNA in population genetics to identify the routes humans traveled when they started populating the earth and where we all come from. DNA holds the answer to so many human questions!
Why do people fear bioengineering human DNA with animal DNA to create a new species?
The potential advances through genetic bio-engineering and DNA sequencing are paralleled only by the inherent dangers they present. Diseases have a tendency to adapt, and to furthermore be created due to manipulations within the environment. For instance, one might note the impact that the introduction of the western world had on the health of native American peoples in recent history. It was disastrous. The bird flu...notice the word bird...started with birds, spreads to man; aid's; wasn't thier a monkey involved somewhere in that disease? Simple examples of the adaptive nature of viruses, I wander, so it's time to bring it back home, you see, often times genetic manipulation is in response to correcting the interaction between viruses and living matter, so as not to create a detrimental effect. For instance, wouldn't it be great to create an anti-body capable of countering the effects of cancer? Sounds fantastic, till the cancer cells mutate,and a new more deadly form of cancer develops...this is the same question doctor's had in regards to anti biotics. At first the anti-biotics counter the disease, lets say a common cold, until, the virus mutates, and then the anti biotic is rendered useless, this new cold, now infects someone with lets say small pox, and now, small pox learns to counter the anti biotic as well..ect. This of course is just one danger, the other danger, is the possibility of creating new deadly diseases of our own. Why would anyone do that? Why would anyone drop an atomic bomb? Why would anyone attempt to exterminate the jewish race? Why would anyone go to war? For that matter, accidents have been known to happen...
How can DNA sequencing be used to identify genetic risk for certain diseases and disorders?
DNA sequences are the instructions that tell our body how to make proteins. The proteins our DNA codes for are responsible for basically all the functions in our body. Often when a disease or disorder happens, it's because the instructions contained in our DNA are a little bit faulty, causing us to be prone to certain health problems. So you can see how reading the DNA would be useful. If we find that people with a certain DNA sequence in a certain place are all likely to develop a disease, this gives us a very powerful tool to identify people at risk for that disease. We just sequence their genes, and if we find a disease-linked sequence, we know that that person's DNA is going to make them prone to that disease. With many disease and disorders, we know that there are faulty instructions in our gene for a certain protein, and we know how that faulty protein causes us health problems. However, we don't need to know that in order to identify a DNA sequence that can signal a disease. One powerful method is to study large populations that have a given health problem and simply see if they have any DNA sequences in common. If they do, then even if we have no idea what that sequence is for, we can make a fairly good guess that it is linked to that disease. Hope this helps!
What are some ethical problems with a DNA database?
There are several very serious ones, most of them relating to what the database would be used for: * It could obviously be used to investigate crime. However, there is some question as to whether or not the police should have automatic access to a DNA database containing everyone in the country, especially people who haven't committed a crime. While it could track legitimate criminals, it could also be used to investigate political dissidents, people the police don't happen to like, and so forth- the same issues as with any other police procedure. I personally don't think the police should be able to get your biometric data unless they can convince a court that they need it for a legitimate purpose. * DNA can be used for health purposes as well, but there are ethical issues associated with that too. For instance, genetic analysis can be used to potentially predict if you may be susceptible to certain diseases, so you could take precautions to protect yourself. However, what if a health insurance company refused to cover people who showed a genetic predisposition to certain diseases? Is that ethical or fair? And likewise, not everyone wants to know if they're likely to get an incurable disease later. To top it all off, it's worth mentioning that genetics is rarely a guaranteed predictor of any given disease, instead it modifies your risk (e.g. someone with a cancer gene is not definitely, 100% for sure going to get cancer- they're statistically more likely, which is not the same thing). * There are also other issues that can arise if a DNA database reveals unexpected findings. For instance, suppose you run the genome of a child to see if they're at risk of any diseases. It transpires that the child's biological father is someone other than the mother's husband. The parents have not, however, ordered a paternity test. Do you tell them what you discovered? You could destroy their marriage. But do you keep them in the dark? There's no easy answer.