1. THE GIFT OF LIFE

2. JOURNAL QUESTION:
Do you think that having a baby is a RIGHT or a PRIVILEGE ? Why?
RIGHT= something that someone is automatically entitled to
PRIVILEGE = something that may be offered to some people but not guaranteed to everyone
(REFER TO YOUR HOMEWORK QUESTION #2 IF YOU’D LIKE)

3. PREIMPLANTATION DIAGNOSIS
This is the process of doing a genetic diagnosis of embryos in vitro.
This is used to ensure that embryos are “free from defects” or have the “desired sex”
“It is forgotten that sick and disabled people are not some separate category of humanity.” (Dignitatis Personae #22)

4. GENE THERAPY
The goal of this is to apply genetic engineering to human beings
Somatic cell gene therapy
Germ line cell therapy
Possible effects:
Social stigma for those who lack certain qualities
What is acceptable is culturally dependent

5. CLONING
This all began with “Dolly,” the genetically cloned sheep by Dr. Ian Wilmut in 1997
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer: Taking the nucleus of body cell of an adult sheep and putting it into an embryo in vitro
Can be used for medical therapy or reproduction
Can lead to “biological slavery” (DP #29)

6. CURRENT LEGISLATION…
Cal. Health & Safety Code, ��24185 to (Approved 1997, made permanent 2002) Bans efforts to create a human being by utilizing somatic cell nuclear transfer "for the purpose of, or to implant, the resulting product to initiate a pregnancy that could result in the birth of a human being." Also bans "human reproductive cloning," defined as "the creation of a human fetus that is substantially genetically identical to a previously born human being."
Cal. Health & Safety Code, � (Enacted 2002) Establishes a state policy that "research involving the derivation and use of human embryonic stem cells, human embryonic germ cells, and human adult stem cells from any source, including somatic cell nuclear transplantation, shall be permitted." This new law may be designed to supercede the older law against creating a cloned fetus. "Embryonic germ cells" are obtained from 8-week-old fetuses, while adult stem cells are obtained from born children.