A Hypothetical Question In Genetics?

A Hypothetical Question In Genetics Suppose for a moment that we are sometime in the not too distant future. My wife and I have decided to have a child, and go to our local reproductive doctor. We have decided to have a male, and we want him to have some specific traits.

We want him to be 6’4”, and lean. This is good for a business career. We want him to have deep blue eyes, dark hair, and good teeth.

We also have the standard list of genetic diseases we would like checked and repaired. All of this can be done for the simple cost of $250,000. So my spouse and I donate the proper materials, pay the fee, and our son comes out just as we wanted.Is this ethical?

Is this wise? Would you do it? Asked by Frognw 34 months ago Similar questions: Hypothetical Question Genetics Society.

No, and the reasons are many. First of all, unless you have those genetic traits in your background, the materials that you and your wife donate, can't guarantee those results. If you are borrowing those genetic traits to get those features, it isn't your child.It also sets up all kinds of ethical problems in paying $250,000 to get a child that meets a standard of acceptability or superiority in society.

What happens to the rest of the children who are born with the regular "luck of the draw" gene pool? Would this be one more tool used by the wealthy in our society to give them a leg up on everyone else? Then, there is the religious aspect.

If you and your wife come together to produce a beloved offspring (that is the product of both of you), then doesn't it defeat the purpose? You are talking about engineering science to produce what you want; it reminds me a little of the Nazi view of the perfect Aryian German: blond, blue eyes and physically fit. The physically or mentally challenged were put to death.

Cloning also comes to mind. How far away would we be from that? I know this is a little different--but, all the same, genetic engineering is a slippery slope.

I am all for identifying markers for disease and decreasing or eliminating the possibility of a child being born with a debilitating disease, and even using stem cell research to heal abnormality. But, when we start buying a child, and putting in an order, like we do a suit of clothes, I think we are tampering with the laws of nature and God..

It's really chancy There are several reasons you actually might not be able to do this, at least safely. 1. Not all traits are determined by our genes.

The field of epigenetics is gaining more and more attention. For instance, it has been known for some time that the shape of the E. Coli bacteria is NOT genetically determined.

They don't know what tells it to be shaped like that! That is a very simple example. So for this reason alone, what you ask for is not necessarily what you would get.2.

Genes do not work singly. Multiple genes working together with various timing mechanisms are what produce various traits. This is why all the children in the family can look and act so differently from each other.

Think of any given trait like a fine Swiss watch. Many things working together make it tick. It is easy to knock out a gene and see the trait stopped.

Same as taking out a gear and the watch stops. But that gene, that gear, is not the whole story. The whole thing is tons more complicated than the lay public has been led to believe in the press.

Sex can be easily determined, yes. They do that in China but that is often via eliminating the daughters by abortion! There have been some studies recently that have indicated that the sex may be part of the inheritance factor from the parents.

What I mean is that some parents are going to have mostly or all girls and some mostly or all boys and that's just the way it is for them. So there's always that to consider, too. Yes, people are going to want designer kids.

What's going to happen to the kids who are not exactly as ordered? Sue the doctor? Put the kid up for adoption or ignore or ridicule or dislike him or her most of his or her life?

The chances of this type of thing turning out all wrong are enormous. People will try it, I'm sure, but there are going to be a lot of very normal kids who are not what their parents 'ordered,' and there is going to be a lot of pain all around because of it. So it's not wise.

I would not do it. As for ethical -- I guess it depends on who's defining ethics, right? It wouldn't go in my book, though..

1 NO, I would not do it. I do not like it ..and I would not do it.

NO, I would not do it. I do not like it ..and I would not do it.

3 seeing how I would have been raised in that culture, brought up with it happening all around me, and taught it as normal. Probably. Plus you would only be able to choose from the genes you and your wife had.

Unless you took them from someone else, but then it wouldnt be your kid. I wouldnt want that lol. But it sounds like it would be no fun without the surprise.

Plus you would prob find it hard to win arguments with your kid cause he would just end it every time with " Well, your the one who made me like this! " lol .

Seeing how I would have been raised in that culture, brought up with it happening all around me, and taught it as normal. Probably. Plus you would only be able to choose from the genes you and your wife had.

Unless you took them from someone else, but then it wouldnt be your kid. I wouldnt want that lol. But it sounds like it would be no fun without the surprise.

Plus you would prob find it hard to win arguments with your kid cause he would just end it every time with " Well, your the one who made me like this! " lol.

See details. " "Hypothetical ettiquette question for Askvillers anywhere on the political spectrum.." "(Hypothetical) Would you want someone EXACTLY LIKE YOU for a friend? How about a next-door neighbor?

" "A not-so-hypothetical situation. You answer a question. You're the first in.

Along comes the second answer. " "What would the world be like with no hypothetical situations?" "Hypothetical question: In the movie Armageddon, Bruce Willis and others save the world. How to reward them?

Hypothetical question...what do you think Askville would do if....

Hypothetical ettiquette question for Askvillers anywhere on the political spectrum..

A not-so-hypothetical situation. You answer a question. You're the first in.

Along comes the second answer.

Hypothetical question: In the movie Armageddon, Bruce Willis and others save the world. How to reward them?

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.