Human Genone Project
The Human Genome Project (HGP) is a research program that has international cooperation with the goal of trying to build a detailed map of the human genome. The human genome is a complete set of genes found within the human chromosome. There is an estimated 50,000-100,000 genes with in a single set of chromosomes. To accomplish this enormous task several countries have been asked to help with the research. Those countries include England, Scotland, France, Japan and the United States of America. There is an agreement between the counties that any and all information discovered is to be shared with all of the researching partners, so as to make this one large effort instead of several smaller efforts. Another reason for the cooperation is with up to 100,000 different genes someone needs to double check the work being done so there are no missed steps or wrong data. In the U.S. the research began in the mid-80’s and was widely discussed in the scientific community. The idea was publicized and heavily scrutinized by both the press and the public because of the fear of the cloning of a human. The research was being conducted by two agencies in the government, first the Department of Energy (DOE) and then soon thereafter th
With each new idea and each new concept come the pros and the cons. Each, pros and cons, have to be considered, properly and thoroughly discussed before going on with the project. The job of working though those problems is that of the Ethical. Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) department. The job of ELSI is in the name; this group of people copmprised of doctors, physicians, politicians, lawyers, professors and others discuss the possible problems that might occur with in the project and with its press releases. They also handle all of the outside problems, groups that protest the project, law suits that may occur against the project and even which direction the project is headed. The idea behind ELSI is to help people to see this project is a good light and for all the help that it can be to the human race and not the bad. e National Institute of Health (NIH). The agencies were working separately with slow progress so they joined forces and with in a short period of time realized that this was a better situation. In 1988 the two agencies put the relationship into writing by signing a Memorandum of Understanding. The idea behind this memo was taking the two labs and making them one big one with more people and recourses and thus came the HGP. The purpose, to build a map of the human genome, actually goes a little further then that. The medical community is the biggest supporter of the project for the simple fact that if you find defective genes then maybe there is a way to fix them. If there is a map of the human genome, a correct map, then someone’s can be compared to it of find out which gene is defective and then trying to correct it. Another idea that is being tossed around is cloning. Cloning is a highly sensitive and widely discussed topic, which is debated all over the world by just about
Some topics in this essay:
Memorandum Understanding,
Spinal Bifida,
Implications ELSI,
United America,
Project HGP,
Health NIH,
human genome,
Energy DOE,
map human genome,
map human,
pros cons,
own organ,
widely discussed,
organ “back”,
occur project,
own organ “back”,
five-year increments,
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Approximate Word count = 1232
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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