UNIT PAPER 4 – MY WORLDVIEW

1.      A.         We are separate from nature because we live in urban areas and because we are higher up on the evolution chain. This means we have brains that we can use to reason with and we should use this tool to better the planet, and not just for ourselves. We are in charge of nature to a certain degree because we should use our knowledge to co-exist with animals and plants in a way that is not destructive to them. Humans have the ability to both grow and destroy things through neglect and overuse. We must use our superior knowledge to ensure our natural resources are not destroyed. We need nature to exist as a human race.

B.         Stewardship comes with responsibilities to use the environment and its natural resources wisely. We need to use our knowledge in a way that doesn’t destroy or alter the natural balance of animal and plant life. We need to make sure that our needs don’t take precedence over those of the animal and plant kingdoms. Having ethical and moral standards means we need to make sure that genetically altering one species doesn’t negatively impact the future of others. Scientists are often questioned about their ethics when they manipulate plants and livestock to improve them to be bigger, better, more colorful and tastier. The outcome does not always mean it makes it healthier for us, and the outcome may have adverse effects us mankind somewhere down the line. Neither does it mean it won’t adversely affect the environment that it competes with.

C.         We are part of nature and should harvest only what we can use or what can be replaced. Sustainable energy resources should be a priority today as mankind has used up so much that nature has supplied. It may not be available forever, and so we should make a concerted effort for the future generations now, not later. Governments should be the driving force and provide funding and research for finding new ways to harness Mother Nature as a resource. As the human population grows worldwide, so we use more and more of the resources that are available to us. Sustainable energy should be geared more towards the natural than the synthetic.

A responsible way of using sustainable resources is to plant more trees than are cut down. To reduce our carbon footprint we could reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and come up with other natural resources that are easily available. For example solar energy from the sun is abundantly available and is less harmful to the environment because it has no toxic output like the emissions from car exhausts.

2. 4 causes of environmental problems are:

1. Overpopulation worldwide. This leads to the next issue of:

2. Poverty. When overcrowding occurs it often overflows into poverty.

3. Unsustainable resource use.

4. Industrial waste and by-products that are needed to produce consumer products.

3. I would choose to do a research paper on Aldo Leopold because he cared about our environment and in particular the land. He cared enough that he founded the Wilderness Society to make sure others would learn to appreciate and respect our land and take care of it. Leopold’s “Land Ethic” as it was called, encompassed the land, plants, animals and water, everything that is nature. He was the pioneer who set the standards for future generations to respect the interaction of man and nature. His ideas gave birth to the conservation ideals of today. “A land ethic, then, reflects the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land” (Leopold’s Land Ethic). His love of the land has been passed on to his children who now manage his foundation, which was formed in 1982. They run “programs in ecological management and environmental education…designed to increase our society’s awareness and appreciation of the land” (Leopold’s Land Ethic). This is something we should be teaching our children so the message is not lost and will continue on into future generations.

Source:

Leopold’s Land Ethic. Web, 2 May, 2013. http://www.aldoleopold.org/AldoLeopold/LandEthic.pdf

JAGUARS ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST

Panthera onca, otherwise known as Jaguars, are regal, beautiful and extremely powerful animals. Jaguars are many different hues of tan, or even white but all have rosette shaped black spots. The spots on their heads, limbs and undersides are more solid spot than rosette. Fully grown Jaguars are muscular and powerful predators with fangs and retractable claws to enhance their killing power. ”The Jaguar has a rough tongue that is designed for peeling the skin away from the flesh of its prey, and…from its prey’s bones” (Miller, Peter et al). Adult males can be as large as seven feet long, excluding their tail, and they can stand up to 75 centimeters and weigh up to 300 pounds. They survive on a wide variety of land and water prey. In open land they use tall grasses to stalk their prey, in forests trees are their tool to pounce on birds or monkeys and in the water they can swim to capture fish, frogs and turtles.

Because Jaguars will hunt sheep and cattle, human farmers will shoot to kill them. Jaguars are not known for attacking humans unless they are cornered and forced to defend themselves. Humans are the main cause for the Jaguars current plight of coming close to extinction. Overpopulation and human encroachment into Jaguars natural habitats have had long term effects on the Jaguar population. Central and South America have slashed and burned many acres to make way for new housing. “Logging and cattle ranching as well as having to compete with humans for food has brought a large decrease in its population” (Miller, Peter et al).

“Current range which once included the Southern portion of North America is now restricted to Mexico, Central and South America and extending down into Northern Argentina” (Shorter). During the 1960s it is believed that 15,000 to 18,000 Jaguars were shot each year in the Brazilian Amazon. That is not counting the rest of the Jaguar population at that time. “Jaguars were listed on CITES Appendix 1 making it illegal to trade their skin or parts for commercial gain and offered protection for most of their range with the exception of Ecuador and Guyana” (Miller, Peter et al). Some wildlife preservation camps on protected land have been part of the recovery process, but a lot more needs to be done. There are several organizations like “Defenders of Wildlife” and “Wildlife Conservation Society”, who are dedicated to finding solutions to keeping Jaguars around for many more generations. “The WCS Jaguar Conservation program began in 1999 to…work with the people who live with jaguars to minimize conflicts…(W)e also work, pro-actively, with indigenous communities… to promote co-existence” (Jaguar). More importantly, “in 1990, with financial support from USAID, WCS joined with the governments and conservationists of Central America to establish an initiative known as the Paseo Pantera of Path of the Panther…to connect…small protected areas of the jaguar. The concept was adopted by all seven countries of Central America…to maintain biodiversity in the region” (Jaguar).

 “The Tucano Indians of the Amazon believed the sun created the Jaguar to represent him on earth” (Shorter). Whatever one’s belief is, we owe it to the future of the planet to preserve this beautiful creature. With concerted joint efforts of the United States of America and other countries lucky enough to still have Jaguars, we can make a difference.

Sources:

“Jaguar”. Wildlife Conservation Society. Web, 30 April, 2013. http://www.wcs.org/saving-wildlife/big-cats/jaguar.aspx

Miller, William, Robbie Peter et al. “Jaguars”. Web, 30 April, 2013. F:\Endangered Wildlife Jaguar.mht

Shorter, C.M. “Wildcats of the world”. Tiger Homes. Web, 30 April, 2013. http://www.tigerhomes.org/wild-cats/wc-jaguar.cfm

HEPATITIS E - AN EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASE

Hepatitis E is listed on the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases as one of the newly discovered Pathogens in the last twenty years. What is most alarming is that cases are spreading globally. The World Health Organization declares “(e)very year there are 20 million hepatitis E infections, over three million acute cases…and 70 000 hepatitis E-related deaths” (W.H.O.). The virus is caused by drinking water that has been contaminated. Hepatitis E is most often non-life threatening where symptoms in humans disappear after 4-6 weeks. However there are growing numbers of cases that prove to be fatal. Additional new “transmission routes have been identified” (W.H.O.) and this is cause for concern.

 “Hepatitis E is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis E virus: a non-enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus” (W.H.O.). The geographical distribution of Hepatitis E determines the strain of the virus. In poor developing countries like parts of Asia and Africa “genotype 1…is transmitted mainly through the faecal-oral route due to faecal contamination of drinking water” (W.H.O.). Overpopulation, poverty and poor maintenance and “low standards of sanitation increase the risk for transmission of the virus” (W.H.O.). Genotype 3 is most often found in developed countries with the resources and planning for sophisticated sanitation which means this does not spread and cause “community level outbreaks” (W.H.O.).

Water contamination is the cause of most of the hepatitis E outbreaks. Additional outbreaks can occur from “zoonotic transmission from animals to humans…transfusion of infected blood products…(and) vertical transmission from a pregnant woman to her fetus” (W.H.O.). New findings have found that eating raw or improperly cooked shellfish can cause outbreaks in areas susceptible to the virus. Hepatitis E is “no longer confined to Asia and developing countries but has also become a concern of the developed nations” (NCBI).

Because hepatitis E is not contained and new cases are being found globally, this is classified as an emerging infectious disease. If left unchecked it can adversely affect populations of areas where it crops up. Many undeveloped and poor countries already feel the effects of the disease. Many poor people have no access to medical attention, and if they did, they may not be able to afford it. There is scientific proof that diseases and organisms can mutate and change becoming more dangerous. Who’s to say this disease won’t do the same. It could become a wide-spread endemic and wipe out entire cultures. If more and more expectant mothers were infected by Hepatitis E, their newborns would be born with it, and the infant mortality rate would be the cause of a drop in population. The ease of travel could allow this virus to be transported to unaffected areas and migration, along with climatic changes could mutate this organism further.

 

Women walk for miles to carry water back to their families
Photo source: Bing photo images

 How sad that this disease currently affects so many cultures in underdeveloped countries. Because they can’t afford to address the main issue of sanitation, their citizens pay the price. The only thing that could reduce the hepatitis E virus is money. This would provide structure, training and education for “maintaining quality standards for public water supplies; establishing proper disposal systems to eliminate sanitary waste” (W.H.O.). Wouldn’t it be an easy fix to have science come up with a little pill to drop into the water to sanitize it completely, and make it affordable to those countries in need?

Sources:

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. US National Library of Medicine. April 03, 2012. Web, 23 April, 2013. http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/emerging/pages/list.aspx

World Health Organization. Media Center. Hepatitis E. July, 2012. Web, 23 April, 2013http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs280/en/

TECHNOLOGY TO THE RESCUE

I chose to write about surgeries on humans that use innovative products in conjunction with traditional corrective surgery. My research shows that demand for surgeries to repair damaged bone and cartilage has increased. This coupled with profitable investment that encourages successful new discoveries, has led to exciting breakthroughs to enhance surgery. Repair to damaged bone and cartilage in humans interests me. Introducing technology to aid this is a benefit to anyone who lives with pain or damaged and hard-working limbs. Repetitive stress put on our bones and cartilage means that our bones, which contain living cells, may not be able to repair themselves without help. Bones are able to produce more osteoclasts and osteoblasts, to a certain degree, but cartilage often wears thin with time, and this is when humans need additional help.

Watching a video and reading the information below it, ABC news online ran a story about a middle aged man with knee problems due to loss of cartilage. “Cartistem, a stem cell drug used to repair cartilage damage…(is) made from cells found in the umbilical cord blood” (Perez, Sylvia). This new drug combined with “microfracture surgery...is one of the first applications…in the orthopedic space” (Perez, Sylvia). It is being used already in surgeries, but is still in its early stages and requires extensive study and results to back it up further.

Another on-line article showed me a different new technology to aid surgery. “VENADO Foam Strips… (are) designed to enhance bone regeneration and act as an osteogenic stimulus after spine surgery” (Foam Strips). The strips reportedly “are purified fibrillar collagen and biphasic granules… (that) hydrate quickly…and become very flexible and moldable, yet are less likely to dissociate or break apart” (Foam Strips). After surgery when the body is trying to repair the damage on its own, “the implant functions as a scaffold for osteogenic components” (Foam Strips).

In my ignorance of bone surgery, this final piece of research showed a truly interesting approach to “conventional delivery methods of bone graft substitutes during orthopedic surgeries” (Innovative Bone).  By using “preloaded (syringes) with ready-to-use NovaBone Putty…works by delivering an osteoconductive matrix while signaling and stimulating osteoblastic activity to the orthopedic surgical site” (Innovative Bone). This product has the stamp of approval from the FDA and is “a versatile bone graft substitute…(who’s) binder resists migration during irrigation, allowing the bioactive component to stay as placed” (Innovative Bone). How fascinating to think that science developed this product with such a simple delivery approach, using a preloaded syringe to do the task of getting it to the site.

Image: The NovaBone Putty synthetic bone graft
(photo courtesy of NovaBone).

Finally, I was able to research how lucrative technological improvements to standard surgical procedures is. “New analysis from Frost & Sullivan’s …Market research finds the market earned revenue of $1.60 billion in 2012” (Advances). Their findings go on to show that this profit margin will only increase and “the prices for bone graft products have started escalating”(Advances). Not surprisingly, “strong clinical data will give a significant boost to investor’s interest in the bone grafts and bone graft substitutes market” (Advanced).

To summarize, I found that Cartistem, VENADO Foam Strips, and NovaBone Putty are all manmade products scientifically developed as aids used together with corrective surgeries. Their use in surgeries is increasing rapidly. As long as investors can see proven results coupled with research and reliable data, the sky is the limit and technology that works will be used in the future. Humans of today live longer due to improved nutrition, and healthcare. Why shouldn’t such findings be used to improve our physical strength as we age?

Sources

“Advances in Surgical Technologies Boost Demand for Efficient Bone Graft Substitutes, Finds Frost & Sullivan.” Yahoo Finance. March 27, 2013. Web, 10 April, 2013. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/advances-surgical-technologies-boost-demand-115900157.html

“Foam Strips and Bone Graft Systems Biologics.” Today’s Medical Developments. n.d. Web. 10, April 2013. http://www.onlinetmd.com/medical-bone-graft-systems-k2m-040413.aspx

“Innovative Bone Graft Delivery System for Orthopedic Surgery.” HospiMedica International. October 21, 2013. Web, 10 April, 2013. http://www.hospimedica.com/surgical_techniques/articles/294731659/innovative_bone_graft_delivery_system_for_orthopedic_surgery.html

Perez, Sylvia and Christine Tressel. “Innovative stem cell procedure could repair knee damage.” ABC News. April 9, 2013. Web, 10 April, 2013. http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/health&id=9059286

Part 2.

1.    What one assignment or activity you performed in this unit are you the most proud of?

I thoroughly enjoyed the Evolution section in Chapter 22 and so I related to the Lab exercise for that chapter. I chose Tenrecs of Madagascar to write about. Because I enjoyed the Chapter, I enjoyed the Lab, especially as I was able to use my imagination instead of just relying on text and factual material.

2.    Why did you enroll in this biology class?

I enrolled in this Biology class because it was a pre-requisite in my General Education section. I chose this as one of my Lab classes because it sounded interesting and I would rather learn about the human body instead of the earth and plants. I might one day need parts of this course if I continue with my thoughts of becoming a Counselor.

3.    Did you feel prepared for this experience when you registered?

No, I knew I would be out of my depth and be learning material I have never learned before. It is my first Biology class ever, and I didn’t do much of the early chapters when I went to school in Africa. I had my 8^th grader son and my college student daughter help me go back to basics as there was a lot of material that was completely new to me.

4.    How was your experience different from your expectations?

I had asked around and heard this is a difficult subject with a lot of new material to learn. I knew going into the class that it would be hard, so I was mentally prepared. I was however, constantly overwhelmed with the amount of detailed material that was presented, and it was a struggle to keep up with a full time job, lots of overtime work hours, and being a wife and mother.

5.    What can I do to help you?

Having emails answered in a timely manner really helped when I had questions. There were a few parts of the course where I struggled to understand the concepts, but you really came through for me. I relied heavily on your recorded chapters because your details explained more than just the print version.

LAB - CHICKEN LEG DISSECTION

Procedure:

1.       Put on gloves and collect your tools.

2.       Thoroughly rinse and dry one chicken leg. Place it in the dissecting tray.

3.       Examine the outside skin tissue. This is the epidermis and the dimples are where feathers emerged. Using scissors and forceps. 

4.       Cut the skin and peel it away from the muscle.

5.       Notice the clear connective tissue that holds the skin to the muscles. As you peel off the skin, you may need to cut away some of this connective tissue. Work slowly and carefully with scissors and forceps until all skin is removed.

6.       Describe how the connective tissue looks and feels. What type of connective tissue is this?

The connective tissue looks white, silky, fatty and a little stretchy like elastic. It is fibrous connective tissue.

Removing the Chicken Skin

7.       Observe, with your naked eye bundles of muscle tissue surrounding the bones. Separate the bundles of muscles by separating them out with your fingers. Begin by inserting your thumb into the muscle of the lower leg. You will need to push forcefully through the shiny lining (called fascia) over the muscle, but it will give way at the natural separations between the muscle bundles. Continue separating the muscle into bundles by forcing your thumb and fingers through the muscle until you are able to distinguish several separate bundles.

a.      Describe the arrangement of the muscle bundles.

The muscles bundles are skeletal muscles tissues. They are long, fibrous groups of cells with connecting fibrous tissue called fascia. The end is joined with the tendon that joins it to the bone.

Separating the muscles

8.       The strong, shiny, white cords, called tendons, hold the muscle to the bones. Some of these tendons will pull away from the bone as you separate the muscle bundles. Use a probe, if needed, to find the tendons of the chicken leg. Using the dissection scissors, cut across the tendons at Line A (Figure 1). Observe the numerous tendons and pull the freed muscles down and away from the bone, as if you were peeling a banana. Careful you don't cut any ligaments that attach bone to bone. Look closely at the ligaments.

Examine the two bones in the lower leg. The large bone (Bone A) is the tibia. The small, toothpick-like bone (Bone B) is the fibula.

a.      What sort of connective tissue are tendons composed of?

Tendons are made of tough, connective tissue which joins bones to muscles.

Finding the Tendons

9.       Remove a single muscle by cutting the tendons and peeling the muscle away from the bone.

a.      What sort of muscle tissue is represented? How do you know?

It is skeletal muscle because it connects to tendons which attach to bone.

b.      Nerves are generally thin, threadlike white strands found between the muscle and the

nearest bone. Look for the nerve in your specimen. Did you find them? ___Yes

c.       What is the physical difference in the tendon of the insertion when compared to the origin?

A tendon is broader where it attaches to the bone at the origin, but it is compact and narrower at insertion where it is attached to moveable bone.

Tendon shapes differ at origin and insertion points

10.       Remove all remaining muscle to expose the bones of the chicken leg.

a.      What is the soft material inside a bone?

The soft material inside a bone is Yellow bone marrow.

b.      Name three specific types of cells present here. Do not break the bone; it is sharp!

Three types of cells present here are dense, compact bone, spongy bone and the central cavity with yellow bone marrow inside it.

c.       Name three functions of bone.

Three functions of bone are support, allows movement and the formation of blood cells.



Looking inside the bone joints



11.       Cut onto the hinge joint by cutting into the top of the covering of the joint from the femur side. It will become apparent that you must remove the knee cap area to expose the menisci and ligaments within. Pull up on the knee cap area and cut through it with the scissors. You will have cut through the bursa, a sac that acts as a shock absorber for the knee joint. These are found in every joint.

12.       Pull the covering back and look into the inside of the joint. You will see more white bands of ligaments holding the bones together. Observe the shiny, white layer covering the ends of the bones is cartilage. It helps the bones slide smoothly when the leg bends.

13.       Bend the specimen at Joint B (Figure 1) and rotate the femur in all directions. Remove the muscle that covers Joint B by cutting parallel to the femur, upward toward the backbone. Remove pink muscle tissue until you see a shiny white sheet of ligament that covers the joint. Present is an exterior ligament that holds the femur in the hip socket

a.      What type of connective tissue composes the ligaments?

Denser fibrous is what ligaments is made up of to attach bone to bone.

Figure 2 is provided in a separate document.

b.      Label Figure 2 with the names of the joints you observed and the motion they make.

c.       On Figure 2, sketch one muscle origin (the name of the bone indicates the insertion) and one muscle insertion you can see in the leg.

Labeling the joints and drawing in a muscle

14.       Dispose of materials as directed.  Make sure to wash your hands, tools, and work station with plenty of soap and water.

HOW HUMANS BENEFIT FROM GENETIC-ENGINEERING

           I was fascinated by the topic of biological engineering. To see how man has learnt to manipulate organisms by splicing, joining, adding and tweaking existing organisms to produce functioning, feasible and new varieties of organisms just amazed me. Whole new-age products have been designed by these innovative engineers to aid humanity and improve life on earth. This manipulation of organisms by revolutionary techniques and experimental genetic engineering will help the world population and environment. It is too new to be understood fully by regular folk, so we discover little bits as they are introduced to society. We marvel at the processes and our eyes are opened a little at a time as we learn what’s happening around us.

            One of my research sources led me to an article detailing a breakthrough advance in biological engineering on land. An article from the Biotechnology Foundation Laboratories at Thomas Jefferson University shares research data from Tobacco plants that have been genetically altered to be a new, untapped source of biofuel. Because Tobacco plants typically produce oil mainly in their seeds, biotech engineers genetically engineered plants so they would change their growth pattern and produce more oil in their leaves. “In some instances, the modified plants produced 20-fold more oil in their leaves” (Andrianov). These “plants were engineered to overexpress one of two genes: the diacyglycerol acytransferase (DGAT) gene or the LEAFY COTYLEDON 2 (LEC2) gene” (Andrianov).

           







         

      
         Another research article showed me new technologies related to the sea and water. Oil production, use and transportation has led to some disastrous environmental oil spills that have affected not only the environment, but wildlife too. “Scientists in Europe have sequenced the genome for an oil-eating bacterium, a move that could pave the way for faster and more efficient ways to clean up oil spills” (Graham-Rowe). Because we have created situations where accidents happen, like oil spills, we have to be responsible and counter any future effects this could have on our environment and wildlife that are adversely affected by this.

            Further research showed up an interesting atmospheric invention that relates to the air way above earth’s surface. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory engineers working at the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) have “successfully produced a sustained high density plasma cloud in Earth’s upper atmosphere” (Parry). They have manufactured “artificial plasma clouds...(which together with) electrostatic waves…responsible for accelerating electrons to high enough energy to produce the glow discharge in the neutral atmosphere” (Parry). While I am not savvy enough to understand the significance of this artificial cloud, the fact that it can be done so far away from earth and still be under scientists control is huge. Perhaps this technology could lead to correcting the earth’s current damage to its ozone layer; or manufacture rain in drought stricken regions.

            Finally, my research pointed me towards current work on research with animals that can benefit humans with diabetes. “Type 1 diabetes affects approximately 1.5 million people in the United States” (Grey). Insulin production by their bodies is defective, so they need insulin shots daily to survive, or the outcome can be fatal. The trouble is that pancreatic islets need to be harvested from cadavers and transferred after purification, into the patient. Understandably there are not enough cadavers to aid this vast need, so other sources are required to mass produce these islets. This is where Xenotransplantation comes into effect. Pigs have proved to be the most compatible non-human transplant option for use in human diabetic treatment. Grey concludes there are two main reasons why pigs are such a viable commodity. “Physiological reasons…blood levels of glucose in pigs and humans are similar…(and) Practical reasons…the commercial rearing and breeding of pigs for food is currently practiced…this knowledge could be used to develop…large-scale preparation of pig islets” (Grey).

            All of my research be it from land, sea, air or animal, had far-reaching effects that could only be of benefit to our society, environment and well-being. Finding innovative biotechnical engineering ways to produce something out of parts of other organisms to fix, cure, adapt and aid us as a whole is all due to genetic enhancement on an unprecedented scale. Any positive research that results in sustainable biofuels that can be grown easily, or bacteria-cleaning oil spills, new techniques for cloud production and animal-human disease control are worthy of recognition.

Work cited

Andrianov, Dr.”Engineered Tobacco Plants Have More Potential as a Biofuel”. Science Daily.  Web. 21 March 2013. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091230174128.htm#

Graham-Rowe, Duncan. “Better Bug for Oil Spills”. MIT Technology Review.mht. German Research Center for Biotechnology. Web. 21 March 2013.

Grey, Shane T. “Genetic Engineering & Xenotransplantation”. Action Bioscience. Web. 21 March 2013. http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/grey.html

Parry, Daniel. “NRL Scientists Produce Densest Artificial Ionospheric Plasma Clouds Using HAARP”. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Web. 21 March 2013. http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2013/nrl-scientists-produce-densest-artificial-ionospheric-plasma-clouds-using-haarp

Part 2. Thinking about the course.

1.    What one assignment or activity you performed in this unit are you the most proud of?

The assignment that I feel the most proud of doing was the “Genetics Problem Calculation Lab”.  It was a fun lab to take, and the fact that my college bound daughter helped me by being the other “parent” made it a fun assignment.

2.    What do you now understand best about the information in this unit?

I now understand the link between cloning, genetics and inheritance.

3.    What actions did you take for yourself to enhance learning or enjoyment of the material?

I made sure to watch all the extra class links that would aid me in my understanding of the material. So much new information is very difficult to digest if you only grasp parts of it, especially the very technical and detailed sections.

4.    When did you feel most “connected” with the course? Most distanced?

I felt most connected with the course during the first part of Chapter 17 because the subject of cloning is really interesting to me. I felt most distanced when the many, many details of the cell cycle came up because of their similarities it seemed very confusing to separate the parts.

5.    What could the tutor offer to help your understanding or enjoyment of the material?

As I mentioned the last time, just continue to supply your video feeds and explain in simple terms the most difficult parts of the new material we receive.

THE VALUE OF REPRODUCTIVE CLONING

There is global positive and negative public reaction to reproductive cloning. I am pretty sure most of the general public is ignorant of the relevant scientific facts of cloning, but the word “cloning” itself brings forth a powerful response. Most is negative because of the moral and ethical dilemmas it raises. The correct medical terminology is lost to most that are not in the medical field. There are actually two kinds of cloning, therapeutic and reproductive, but they are lumped together in the public’s minds. Scientist’s of course, are all for reproductive cloning because of the infinite possibilities that are still out of reach. Successful reproductive cloning done on animals has its downside; the carbon copies of cloned animals have been found to have high percentages of short life spans and ill-health due to some undetected glitches in the process itself.

            Jean Chambers takes a close look at Carson Strong’s take on reproductive cloning.  Strong makes the following statements which she quotes in her journal. Arguing that reproductive cloning should be restricted only to   “infertile opposite sex couples for whom cloning is the last resort for having a genetically related child…would give such couples respectable reasons for cloning themselves” (Chambers). Strong also states that cloned children have a humane right to a “decent minimum opportunity for development” (Chambers). This refers to selective cloning where genetic imperfections of disease are prohibited.  Strong worries that this could lead to society producing designer babies, which again is morally corrupt.

            In a scholarly Journal written by Bertrand Pulman, issues involving cloning from sociological and bioethical viewpoints were addressed. Pulman brings up the important “law… passed by the French parliament in 2004 (that) qualifies reproductive cloning as a “crime against the human species”, a clear indication of how threatened the social world feels about certain aspects of genetic engineering” (Pulman).  He also mentions an important fact about “the difficulties encountered when attempts are made to formulate a prohibition at the national and international levels” (Pulman). He goes on to say how hard it is to get international agreement of exactly what and how prohibition on reproductive cloning should be formulated to make it standard worldwide. Currently different countries worldwide do not agree on how far to take, or prohibit reproductive cloning.

            Lee Turnpenny, a senior researcher at the University of Southampton in the UK, voices his concern that “clinical trials do not guarantee safety…we cannot guarantee a risk-free process in humans, until a sufficient number of…clones…have lived demonstrably healthy lives” (Turnpenny). He adds “(n)obody asks to be born, but we…opt for health…To pre-designate future human(s)…of an unproven technology would be a totalitarian act” (Turnpenny).  He declares this as “the real ethical reason why human reproductive cloning should remain prohibited” (Turnpenny).

            I feel there should be international standards set and maintained to ensure one country doesn’t overstep the boundaries to gain fame as becoming the “leader” of the field. There are moral and ethical sides to cloning that need to be addressed, as well as further long-term testing to ensure no poor quality humans are cloned. In deciding just who should be viable candidates for reproductive cloning. Carson Strong seems to forget that there are more than just same-sex married couples who deserve to be considered for cloning. Gay couples of the same sex and single parents of either sex should fall into his accepted category. Equal opportunity and equal rights are part of our culture today. Lee Turnpenny too brings up extremely valid concerns that current technology is not complete when it comes to reproductive cloning. To rush ahead because the information is out there does not mean it is the right time to proceed with reproductive cloning.

Carson Strong is too narrow minded in his viewpoints. His limited selection of who are viable candidates for reproductive cloning, are extremely discriminating. He is correct, however in his fear of the dangers of society becoming a part of producing designer babies. The ethics involved in this path are too horrific to think about. Bertrand Pulman too, brings up the importance of having internationally set standards for the laws and rules on reproductive cloning. Lee Turnpenny also brings up vitally important moral and ethical reasons not to clone human beings. It would be a totalitarian act to go ahead and clone humans. Those clones would have had no say in the outcome, and they would utlimately  be viewed differently by society.

All of my research targets have valid arguments either for or against human reproductive cloning. The underlying facts are that all of them point in the same direction. This is for society to slow down and think about reproductive cloning, in social, moral and ethical terms before more harm than good is done. As in all science, time and success in their initial experimental work produce better results. Because research on reproductive cloning is being done by countries all round the world, they should adhere to standards set and not race towards the finish line when the finish line is not one hundred percent clear.

Work cited

Chambers, Jean E. “Response to “Clone Alone” by Carson Strong”. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. 2002:11, 169-179. Proquest. 27 February 2013. Yavapai College online Library resources.

Pulman, Bertrand. “The issues Involved in Cloning: Sociology and Bioethics”. Revue Francaise de Sociologie. 2007: 129-156. Proquest, 27 February 2013. Yavapai College online Library resources.

Turnpenny, Lee. “Is ‘cloning’ mad, bad and dangerous?”. The European Molecular Biology Organization”. Rep. 2007 January: 8 (1):2. Web. 27 February 2013. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1796746/