Human Genome and Bioethics: Implications and Risks
The Human Genome: Our Book of Instructions
The human genome is the set of all genes in our species, distributed across 23 pairs of chromosomes in our cells. Their study is the field of genomics. Beginning in 1990, the Human Genome Project was designed to locate and study the function of genes. The human genome contains approximately 35,000 genes. Almost 25% of the genome is deserted, and genes are not regularly scattered across chromosomes. Only 5% of human DNA contains genes, the carriers of instructions to synthesize proteins.
Human genome sequencing has shown that a large part of our DNA comes from bacteria and viruses that have infected the ancestors of our species at some point. It has also been found that the difference between two people is only 0.01%. The Human Genome Project marked the completion of the beginning of a new era: the era of genomic medicine and health.
Bioethics: The Ethics of Life
Bioethics is a multidisciplinary study that addresses the ethical problems arising from the application of biomedical sciences and their technologies, which can influence and change human life and that of other organisms.
Evaluation of the Risks of Biotechnology
There are many aspects of biotechnology that must be considered from an ethical point of view:
- Gene therapy: The ethical principle to follow in any application of gene therapy is respect for human dignity. It should be used to benefit certain patients and should never be applied as a method for the genetic improvement of mankind.
- Human cloning for reproductive purposes: This technique has widespread rejection from laws and public proposals. It eliminates the natural individuality of human beings.
- Stem cells: Embryos from which embryonic stem cells are extracted can come from three sources: embryos left over from in-vitro fertilization treatments, embryos created for therapeutic cloning, and fetuses from abortions. In-vitro fertilization clinics maintain a high number of frozen embryos left over from the treatments. The possibility of obtaining embryonic stem cells through reproductive cloning poses an even greater ethical problem, as the embryos are created with the sole purpose of being destroyed during the process of obtaining these cells. Less inconvenience arises from the utilization of adult stem cells.
- Human Genome: One of the consequences of the discovery of the human genome sequence is the problem that arises regarding the appropriateness of patenting human genes. If there were no such patents to guarantee profits, these companies would not have the large amounts of money that research in this field requires. Knowledge of a person’s genetic traits can be used in the workplace or by insurance companies.
- Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): The development of such organisms raises the question of their intended purpose. We must also consider the environmental impact of their use:
- The introduction of transgenic organisms can modify or invade nearby ecosystems.
- Another risk may be the possibility of transferring transgenes to other organisms, which would cause genetic contamination of other species.
- The consumption of GMO foods can cause the alleged appearance of reactions in people. The principle of precaution discourages this type of food in our diet until research results demonstrate their safety for human health.
From an economic point of view, there is a concern that multinational companies that produce transgenic organisms may gain control over world resources. Insertion in plants of terminator genes, which produce sterile seeds equipped with an enzyme that prevents germination, requires farmers to buy seeds for the next harvest from the same companies and under the conditions required by them.