The Random House Webster’s College Dictionary defines bioethics as a field of study and counsel concerned with the implications of certain medical procedures, genetic engineering, and care of the terminally ill. I will be exploring and commenting on how bioethics relates to genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is a branch of biology dealing with the splicing and recombining of genetic units from living organisms, according to Webster’s New World Dictionary. I will look at bioethics from the point of view of personal privacy, societal effects, religious concerns, medicinal benefits and legislation.

The topic of genetic engineering stirs up de

In reproductive medicine it is rights of parent that clash with the rights of the embryo. Unfortunately, the embryo is not in a position to protect and defend himself. Theologians say in today’s reproductive medicine the right of the parent is in direct conflict with the right of the embryo. Does this generation have the right to change the future of all generations? After all, we in this generation are only one small part in the history of the human race. Do we have the right and or the knowledge to alter the course of the human race? Respect for life in its present form is being destroyed. We are trying create a new race in the test tube. We don’t respect the rules and regulations of guerilla and ape tribes, why would this new race respect our norms. We are moving too fast in a very complex area and we may unwittingly commit genocide of the human race. Let us respect our present societal values and preserve them.

Many theologians believe that genetic engineering, should not be investigated at all, they feel Mother Nature knows best and any tampering with genetic material is evil. The primary reason why theologians argue that genetic engineering is unethical is because it defies all that has been described in the story of creation in the bible and other religious texts. However, it is my belief that genetic engineering has promise to better mankind, and it is our ethical obligation to research it but not exploit it. There is a need to have a morally correct legislation that guides the way science develops this (Toward E01.)

We have been able to use bacteria like E. Coli and yeast to make genetically engineered drugs and vaccines. As the population of the world exploded and number of people with Diabetes Mellitus and Hypothyroidism were increased, we started running out of hormone drugs like insulin and thyroxin which were obtained from animal organs. There were not enough animals to slaughter to keep up with the demand. Biogenetics changed all this, we now safely produce insulin in the laboratory, the insulin and thyroxin is purer, cheaper, better and more plentiful. The pharmaceutical industry so far has been able to demonstrate that science, if advanced under ethical guidance with good proper intent can lead to beneficial results (Gorman 79.)

Germans learned a very bitter lesson about eugenics under Hitler’s regime and today they have some of the toughest legislative controls of any nation. In Germany Hitler's mistakes have left marks on the German psyche, by this I mean Germans are still afraid of genetic engineering because of Hitler’s ruthless Eugenics project that tried to create a master race. An example of this is biochemist Carl-Wihelm Vogel. Vogel had set up a Class 1 Lab (the category denoting the least risk) at Hamburg University’s Institute of Biochemistry and Food Chemistry, in order to try to clone the gene that codes for the cobra venom factor, a protein that could prevent the rejection of organ transplants. In most countries this type of genetic research would barely raise an eyebrow; however, German laws is strict;

The danger of genetic engineering lies in the fact that the individuality of life could be lost as natural selection is gives way to forced selection to propagate and incode a few preferred genetics traits in the lab. The danger is that we may want only some qualities in each human, we may want the ability to pick and choose qualities that appeal to us and then put them into a human.

The counter effect of any legislation has been a flourishing underground that erodes the basic premise of that legislation. The more a technological innovation has potential for financial profit; more this underground black market thrives. We need to plan to combat this effect as we advance. This is the part of genetic engineering that can not be legislated; it has to be policed.

Legislative regulating of biogentic engineering is not going to be any easy process. It is very clear that huge pr

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