Genetic Testing and Engineerin

Probably, applied genetics’ most impacts on society are as a result of genetic tests. In general, genetic tests seek to detect some feature of a person’s genetic constitution. This feature can be a disease causing mutation or a marker DNA sequence used to detect presence of another gene. Obviously these procedures used for testing the status of DNA, RNA or chromosomes are included in genetic tests. What is more it is possible to include some protein based tests and classical medical examinations when they aim to detect inheritance of a trait. Genetic tests have been divided into four categories in this text, and they will be examined in greater detail later. These categories are:

Prenatal tests that are applied on fetuses during pregnancy.

Neonatal screening just after birth and career screening of marrying couples.

Testing for serious late-onset disease before the symptoms occur.

Testing to assess the probability of developing complex disease.

There are a couple of considerations about genetic tests:

1. First of all, the tests should be reliable. When a positive or a negative result is obtained, we should be confident in that result with a confidence approaching 10

Sudbery, Peter. Human Molecular Genetics. Singapore: Addison Wesley Longman, 1998.

D. Presymptomatic Testing For Predisposition To Complex Disease

Testing for serious late onset diseases is very extraordinary, because the tested person is completely healthy at the time of the test but if the results come to be positive, he or she learns that in the future suffering from a devastating disorder is unavoidable or at least very likely. An undesired test result causes psychological distress not only on the person being tested but also on his or her family members. Children of the tested individual will feel guilty and sad for their parent and at the same time will be in the knowledge that the same mutation may be present in their genomes. Moreover, as it will be explained later, insurance companies or employers may require the results of genetic tests and a later on discriminate against them.

C. Presymptomatic Testing for Late Onset Diseases

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