In 1978, the first in vitro fertilization procedure or IVF was conducted,
which allows for otherwise infertile parents to have children. The technique
involved removing a woman’s egg from her uterus, fertilizing it in a lab, and
then implanting the fertilized egg back into the uterus. IVF has resulted in
the ability to “prescreen” a fertilized embryo for genetic disorders that can
lead to conditions like down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, and
hemophilia. Eggs that contain these traits can be discarded in favor of those
that do not. Some parents have already used this technique to determine the
desired sex of their child. This is a rudimentary step along the road to the
ability to alter the genetic code of an embryo to determine the physical and
personal traits of a child.
Genetic Manipulation in Plants and Animals
The genes of animals and plants have been manipulated for a number of years
in order to produce desirable traits. Food plants that are resistant to certain
diseases and pests as well as creating higher yields have been created. Goats
and cows that produce more milk, with greater amounts of protein have been
created. Mice have been produced with a predetermined disease, such as cancer,
to facilitate medical research.
Germline Gene Therapy
Germline gene therapy involves altering the genetic makeup of an embryo, or
even a human sperm or egg, by inserting or deleting certain genes in order to
determine physical and personal traits. These changes would not only alter the
genetic code of the child that will be born from the embryo but, since his or
her reproductive cells will also be altered, every descendent the child will
have.