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Human uses

Using biotechnology to expand our choices

A clear outcome of technology is that it gives people more choices. This worksheet looks at the value our society places on 'freedom of choice' and encourages students to think broadly about the huge range of choices that adults generally have in terms of lifestyle, recreation, culture and social opportunities. Before putting this into the context of reproductive technology, allow the students to consider what this means in terms of things they are familiar with.

Technology has significantly increased choice in human reproduction. For most couples, having a child happens naturally. However, for a small number of people, conception does not occur for many different reasons, resulting in infertility.

A class discussion of the reasons for infertility could be useful. Causes are varied and may lie with the woman, man or both. Common causes include low sperm count, immobile sperm, lack of ovulation, fertilised egg being unable 'attach' to uterus wall and hormonal imbalances.

The case study examines a specific case of a couple undergoing IVF. Using reproductive technologies is generally viewed as worthwhile, as it often provides an opportunity for people to achieve outcomes which may previously have been difficult or impossible. However, as discussed in this theme, there are also downsides. Technology may help provide totally novel outcomes, but how desirable such outcomes actually are may need careful consideration. Technology may open up some desirable outcomes, but may also cause a loss in other aspects of life. This is the point of what US ethicist Paul Lauritzen describes as the notion of 'coercive offer'.

If the discussion ranges into prenatal testing, basic information is provided in Biotechnology Online under the section called Genetic disorders. The worksheet Human chromosomal abnormalities looks at how karyotypes are used to diagnose chromosomal disorders.

Natural antibiotics

In this activity, students carry out an experiment to investigate the antibiotic properties of a range of natural products in relation to E. coli bacteria (which are available from biological supply companies and from school science equipment and materials suppliers).

It is important that the microbiological techniques needed for this experiment are demonstrated to the students before they begin their work. Make sure that the plates are not opened at any stage and that they are disposed of safely.

Although not mentioned in this work sheet, further discussion or investigation could move into the issue of antibiotic resistance. This is becoming a growing issue in hospitals. Students could examine which bacteria are becoming resistant, and to which antibiotics. They could also examine the reasons for why this resistance is developing, and what its potential long-term effects are. Students could also look into research into new antibiotics and consider why the levels of research into these sorts of therapeutics are different from 50 years ago.

Human chromosomal abnormalities

The study of chromosomes by microscopy is called cytogenetics. By staining chromosomes with Giemsa dye and looking at them with a light microscope, we can see the unique banding patterns of each chromosome.

An organised profile of a person's matching chromosomes is called a karyotype. Chromosomes are arranged and numbered by size, from largest to smallest, based on banding patterns and the position of the centromere. Karyotyping is one of many techniques that can detect chromosomal abnormalities by looking at the number and structure of chromosomes.

Many chromosomal abnormalities can be detected in the first few months of pregnancy by amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS). These tests are carried out between the 12 and 18 weeks of pregnancy and involve collecting either placental tissue or cells from the amniotic fluid around the baby in order to karyotype the foetal cells. Karyotyping the foetal cells often makes it possible to determine the sex of the foetus and whether it is suffering from certain genetic diseases such as Down syndrome. The presence of certain proteins can also be measured to reveal conditions such as spina bifida.

This work sheet can be used on a number of different levels.

Firstly, it can be used to examine the physical process of making a karyotype, and that only cells stopped in metaphase are used. Secondly, chromosomal abnormalities can be discussed and that karyotyping is one method of genetic testing, used in conjunction with others.

Issues of disabilities can be discussed - people with trisomy 21 are born with reduced mental capabilities and distinctive physical characteristics. This is commonly known as Down syndrome. Many couples choose to terminate such pregnancies, but some disability activists argue that a pregnancy should not be terminated as trisomy 21 children often grow up to lead full and happy lives. A discussion of this in your class would need to consider the rights and responsibilities of the parents as well as the unborn child.

When a gene code is altered

See section in What is biotechnology?

A perfect world

Modern biotechnology and gene technology have become the basis of numerous films (Jurassic Park, Multiplicity, The Hulk, Spiderman), TV programs (the CSI series) and speculative fiction. This worksheet looks at one example of a possible future.

In the world of GATTACA, children are selected before implantation for perfect health and wellbeing using pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. Vincent, however, was a 'faith-birth' (born naturally). He has myopia and a heart defect, and is predicted to die by the age of 30. He is relegated to work as a cleaner, but he wants to become an astronaut. He assumes the identity of Jerome (a crippled athlete), who has the right genes to allow Vincent to realise his dream.

Vincent says "I'll never understand what possessed my mother to put her faith in God's hands, rather than those of her local geneticist. I belong to a new underclass, no longer determined by social status or the colour of your skin. We now have discrimination down to a science."

This worksheet can be used to explore issues such as:

Quotes from the film (such as those listed here) can be used as starting points for discussion, by asking students to think about what they mean without seeing the film. Perhaps the points could be discussed again after watching it. Other issues, such as Irene's ability to dutifully accept her genetic fate, can also be useful counterpoints.

What would I choose?

This worksheet looks broadly at the idea of using genetic testing and gene therapy to gain or develop desirable traits in friends, partners, parents and ourselves.

In the first part of this activity, students start thinking individually about characteristics that they find attractive in other people and what they might change. Students are then to consider what those people might change about them. The results are pooled as a class. The class is asked to consider why ratings might change between friends, partners and parents and also why what we would change about ourselves, might not be what others would change about us. The discussion should also consider how many of the selected traits are genetically determined, and how these compare with other traits.

In the second part, students work in small groups to discuss a number of scenarios and explore the ways in which some people choose to find solutions to their problems. The final step involves individual work, drawing on the class and group discussions, in which each student considers whether gene testing and gene therapy are appropriate tools to be used in various situations.

Ethical considerations to each of these scenarios are presented in Part 2 of the worksheet. Students can consider whether they find these actions acceptable, and whether society as a whole would condone such behaviour. Consideration could also be given to other cultures and whether any of their attitudes to some of these actions might be different to our own.

Who or what would you clone?

This series of activities should create awareness of the varying contexts in which cloning may be accepted. They should also highlight the difficulties in setting any rules for what should and should not be allowed to be detected, selected or treated through gene technology.

Initially, individuals express their opinion in a whole-of-class context. After individual reflection on the pattern of opinions, students work in small groups to discuss issues related to cloning, share these with the rest of the class, and then write about their own views.

Cloning has become a popular notion for films and speculative fiction. However, scientists generally believe that cloning is too inefficient and dangerous a procedure to carry out on humans, and thus human cloning should not even be attempted. Part 3 of the worksheet examines claims of babies being cloned. Three articles about the first claim are presented and students are asked to consider a number of angles to the story.

Stem cell ethics

Stem cells are a very divisive issue in Australian society. Much of the debate comes down to their origin, and whether or not embryos are destroyed in the process. Three main types of stem cells are being investigated for their potential use in research and medicine. Stem cells differ in their degree of differentiation and ability to self-renew. In humans:

This worksheet looks at a range of ethical issues surrounding the use of stem cells, including:

This worksheet has a lot of content, and it is likely you will not be able to, or even want to, discuss every topic that is raised. The questions posed at the end of each section are not intended to be exhaustive, but to provide starting points for discussion. There are no right or wrong answers in this discussion and students' opinions will very likely range across the spectrum.

Have you the right to know?

This activity is intended to provide opportunities for students to discuss matters of individual rights and responsibilities to others in relation to DNA fingerprinting. It uses a case study as the basis for group and whole-of-class discussions.

Recent statistics have shown that there is a reasonable proportion of fathers whose children are not their own. Media stories have highlighted the very personal toll this can take on families. One issue to come out of these discussions with students could be that these sorts of tests should not be done lightly.

Whilst DNA profiling can reveal paternity, it can also be used to identify disaster victims and place people at the scene of a crime. If the discussion ranges into this territory, it is worth pointing out that television programs depicting the process of DNA testing are generally not accurate. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) DNA tests take several hours to complete and analyse, not 10 minutes. And, the accuracy and types of tests used in TV series are not always as they are used in reality.