Biotechnology/Mitochondrial Donation Essay

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The duty to prevent or alleviate suffering

The duty to respect human live

They exist several ethical limitations about this solution, one of the most important may be that the procedure is new, has not been tested as much as other methods, so they are risking lives and therefore they aren’t following the duty to respect human live. Also manipulating fertilization in a lab could lead to think that if they are now manipulating embryos and zygotes this could lead to “designed babies” which means they could try to modify some feature like the color of the hair or even modify their genetically material to be stronger… It could modify genetically some generations because we don’t certainly now the consequences in the environment, because although in the cases done until now only 1% from the donor has passed to the child that means that is altercating the genetics and could altercate human linage.

From another side the benefits that could be obtained, ethically speaking, would be to accomplish one the most important duty of ethics: the duty to prevent or alleviate suffering, because while applying these techniques it will be a less human live with this disease and with less suffering, this will also be a way of preventing it.

Also according to the definition this solution is fair dealing with people because the parents who want offspring have the right to save their offspring lives even before they are born. It’s fair to those mothers with mitochondrial diseases to have the same right as others to have a healthy offspring. Charles Mohan, CEO of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation told the Live Science “that such treatments let parents make decisions to foster the health of their children early on. "It provides an alternative," Mohan said. “(2017). Retrieved 24 January 2017. [5]

So also will, in a kind of way, will also respect the ethical duty of respecting human life because it will save a live and prevent to get to death.

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Conclusion

In a nutshell, mitochondrial malfunctions are some really rare diseases which although don’t affect to a lot of people it could lead to severe illnesses, problems and in some cases death. Also we have to think that these diseases don’t only affects the patient but also the parents of the children and the mothers who want to have fecundation, because they want to have children but they don’t want them to be sick and have diseases (also the child could die so they don't want that either).

So in my opinion, although it’s true accepting this new biotechnology could be a risk and have ethical issues but the women with these problems should have the right to decide if they want to do it and the right of having health offspring which without this technology couldn’t be possible.

Briefly, although the ethical discussion, which have to be considered, the three parent babies’ technique should be allowed everywhere because it doesn’t only prevent future cases of mitochondrial diseases but also helps those parent that want to have offspring to have it.

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Bibliography

What is Mitochondrial Disease?. (2017). UMDF. Retrieved 24 January 2017, from http://www.umdf.org/what-is-mitochondrial-disease/

(2017). Dulwich.org.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2017, from http://www.dulwich.org.uk/docs/default-source/the-arts/publications-docs/semantron-2015.pdf?sfvrsn=6#page=131

(2017). Retrieved 24 January 2017, from http://www.bbc.com/news/health-31594856ç https://www.sciencenews.org/article/three-parent-babies-explained

About Mitochondrial Disease - Mito FAQ | Mitochondrial Disease Action Committee - MitoAction. (2017). Mitoaction.org. Retrieved 24 January 2017, from http://www.mitoaction.org/mito-faq#whatare

https://www.bio.org/what-biotechnology

Padres de niño con síndrome de Leigh piden apoyo para seguir manteniéndolo | soyosorno.cl. (2017). soychile.cl. Retrieved 20 January 2017, from http://www.soychile.cl/Osorno/Sociedad/2015/08/09/339171/Padres-de-nino-con-sindrome-de-Leigh-piden-apoyo-para-seguir-manteniendolo.aspx

(IVF), I. (2017). In vitro fertilization (IVF): MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Medlineplus.gov. Retrieved 24 January 2017, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007279.htm

'Three Parent Baby' Debate: What Opponents And Proponents Say About The Scientific Breakthrough. (2017). International Business Times. Retrieved 24 January 2017, from http://www.ibtimes.com/three-parent-baby-debate-what-opponents-proponents-say-about-scientific-breakthrough-1804050

What does ethical mean? definition and meaning. (2017). BusinessDictionary.com. Retrieved 24 January 2017, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/ethical.html

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Autoevaluation

From my point of view I think I deserve a 7/8 because I worked really hard on this essay and I think is really complete and clear everything what is exposed. Also because ethical factors was the most difficult so I tried to do it the best.

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