Most Significant Advancement's Term Paper

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 989 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 1+

Page 1 of 3

Medical Advancements in Medicine and Health

Write a three-page paper on what you believe is the most significant medical advancement (s) in medicine and health and support your argument.

Genetic engineering is one of the most significant medical advancements of the century and will have a major impact on medicine, health, politics and church and state relationships.

Genetic engineering. A controversial issue or a blessing in disguise? The Human Genome Project (HGP), sponsored in the United States has created the field of genomics --understanding genetic material on a large scale.

But what actually is genetic engineering? Genetic engineering in theory, allows cells to grow in a petri dish, with the end result of creating the type of genetic alteration you want. Imagine the medical ramifications of being able to genetically create the characteristics we want in a species. Think of the benefits to mankind and the enhancements that would be made to modern medicine. In principle, the mixing of genes would occur through cloning techniques just as it does during sexual reproduction.

Contrary to scientists' expectations, the birth of Dolly shows it is possible to reprogram the cell of an adult (or at least its genome) so that it begins development all over again. This newly discovered flexibility means it may one day be possible to reprogram skin or blood cells so that they grow into "spare part" tissues and organs, rather than whole organisms. But the technical obstacles will be huge.1

Currently, because of ethical reasons, geneticists are concentrating on finding the causes of genetic diseases and then curing them. It makes it easier to meddle with human and animal genes but is not necessarily genetic improvement, by itself.

Stuck Writing Your "Most Significant Advancement's" Term Paper?

View All Our Example Most Significant Advancement's Term Paper

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

Genetic engineering can be a hit or miss methodology that sometimes works.

Geneticists have wondered if cloning could be used to create a super race. Shades of Hitler or Mary Shelley's Frankenstein come to mind. In the wrong hands, who knows what kind of new species could be developed. Could genetic engineering be used to save http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/infoendangeredspecies? But ethical questions arise when genetic engineering is discussed ever since November 25, 2001, when a Massachusetts research company announced it had cloned the first human embryo. The announcement brought swift condemnation from the Vatican with the warning, "Notwithstanding the humanistic intents...this calls for a calm but resolute appraisal which shows the moral gravity of this project and calls for unequivocal condemnation."

Researchers defended the development by saying they wanted to use the cloned embryos to harvest stem cells, rather than to create babies. Many scientists believe stem cells can be used to treat a wide range of diseases, including diabetes, strokes, cancer, AIDS and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

President Bush also criticized the experiment, saying, "We should not as a society grow life to destroy it, and that's exactly what's taking place."

But genetic engineering is a powerful medical advancement that can be used to diagnose and predict disease predisposition….....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Most Significant Advancement's" (2002, June 13) Retrieved July 1, 2025, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/most-significant-advancement-133527

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Most Significant Advancement's" 13 June 2002. Web.1 July. 2025. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/most-significant-advancement-133527>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Most Significant Advancement's", 13 June 2002, Accessed.1 July. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/most-significant-advancement-133527
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example