Discussion: Eugenics and Reprogenetics

Eugenics and Reprogenetics
Name:
Instructor:
Institution:
Date:
As the world continues to get more and more technologically advanced,so does it become increasingly advanced scientifically. Advancements in science have effectively meant that there are new discoveries almost daily. When it comes to biology for example, people are increasingly having a say on what exactly they want in their kids or partners. Advancements in genetics have opened doors to such realities. While the facts are there, there are also grey areas that have often raised endless debates both within the scientific community as well as the society at large. Eugenics and reprogenetics quickly come to mind whenever such grey areas stick up.
Reprogenetics refers to the use of genetics in reproduction, especially in order to choose traits in an offspring or to minimize the risk of genetic disease. It was a term introduced by Lee M. Silver, but failed to be adopted for conventional use. It is more commonly referred to as modern genetic engineering and represents the point of meeting of genetic as well as reproductive technologies. An example of such is the in vitro fertilization, which essentially is the studies entailing both gametes as well as embryos. Reprogenetics seems to have quite some similarities to eugenics, especially considering that both work on the basis of genetic setup.
Since in vitro fertilization was first achieved in 1978, it has become a commonplace technique that aids infertile couples. The best IVF clinics offer their customers a success rate of up to 70%, twice as high as that naturally achieved by fertile couples actively trying to have a baby (Silver, 2000). Since then, there has been an explosion of knowledge in genetic research and technology. It is now possible to iden...