A photo from open sources
A man with pleasure (and, I must say, with a rather large dexterity) controls the evolution of many plant and animal species. Why not try now to control your own evolution (and not nullify it with the impressive success of medicine)? Why wait for natural selection to do everything, if we can deal with it faster and in many ways with more for yourself benefit?
For example, when conducting research in the field of human behavior, scientists today they are looking for genetic components associated not only with medical problems and disorders, but also with character, various aspects of sexuality and competitiveness personality. Much of this, at least partially, can be transmitted through inheritance. It is likely that over time it will become familiar conduct a thorough examination of people to determine the organization their genome and prescribe medication based on the results.
The next step is expected to have a direct effect on genes and human genome. Two ways are possible: replacing genes in some a separate organ (gene therapy) or a change in the whole genome patient (germ-hereditary therapy). So far, researchers try to solve the intermediate problem of using gene therapy for the treatment of certain diseases. But if ever scientists master embryo therapy, it will mean that we can assist not only the patient himself, but also his children.
The main obstacle to using genetic engineering in these goals – the exceptional complexity of the human genome. Genes in the human body usually perform more than one function. A functions, in turn, are usually encoded in more than one gene. Due to this feature known as pleiotropy, exposure to a single gene may have the most unexpected effects.
Why even try to do this? Why, most parents wants to guarantee the birth of children of the right sex, give them physical beauty and strength, mind, musical talent, or pleasant character, and besides – try to rid your offspring from, say, depression, hyperactivity, stinginess, recklessness or even a tendency to delinquency! Incentive The motives here are obvious, and they are very strong.
As motivated as parental attempts at genetic by ensuring the social security of their children, the struggle will become with human aging. As many recent research, human aging is not just the wear and tear of parts of it organism, and programmed destruction, which is largely least genetically controlled. If so, sooner or later genetic research will help identify numerous genes, governing various aspects of this process, and with such genes it will be possible to make the necessary manipulations.
If you imagine that gene changes will come into practice, then it is worth considering: how can this affect further evolution of humanity? Probably very strong. Suppose parents affect unborn children in this way, contributing to their mental development, the acquisition of a certain appearance and longer life expectancy.
If such children grow up smart, live for many years, then they will be able to have more children and earn more than any of us. Probably, such similar people will want to communicate and start families with to your own kind.
A photo from open sources
In the context of their voluntary geographical or social self-isolation can occur gene drift, and subsequently a new speciation. In other words, one day people will be able to meet on The street is a human being of a new kind. Do we want to choose such a scenario? However, it does not depend on us – the choice will be made by our descendants!
But there are some other serious factors. The fact is that these descendants must at least be born and be healthy, smart and active. Meanwhile, the British Encyclopedia briefly lists some of the characteristic facts relating to 3,500 known in currently autosomal dominant and recessive diseases, as well as diseases linked to the floor (this list, however, constantly growing):
“Epidemiological studies suggest that that approximately 1% of all newborns suffer from one gene defect and 0.5% have chromosomal abnormalities that can lead to serious physical disabilities and mental retardation.
At least half of 3-4% of infants with congenital defects carries significant genetic deficiencies. how at least 5% of all recorded conceptions have serious chromosomal anomalies, and 40-50% of spontaneous abortions are about embryos with chromosomal abnormalities.
About 40% of child mortality is due to genetic pathology; 30% of pediatric and 10% of adult patients need hospital care due to genetic disorders. Genetic defects, even small ones, are present in 10% of all adults …. Fifth part of stillbirths and early childhood deaths is caused severe congenital malformations, and about 7% of all newborns suffer from mental or physical disabilities. ”
That is far from all. Spontaneous Mutation Indicators testify that this kind of genetic “typos” is now accounted for up to two hundred (!) for each person. In addition to genetic anomalies necessary and sufficient for the appearance of the corresponding disorders, there are much more multifactorial diseases in which certain genes participate in, creating one degree or another predisposition to specific diseases, for example to most types of cancer, diabetes, hypertension.
Early eugenics naively believed that just not allow people with hereditary diseases to have children to with each generation more and more healthy people appeared. But pathological genes are most often recessive. That is the quantity carriers of unwanted genes far exceed the number of actively sick, and the refusal of sick people to produce offspring could give only an extremely slow decline in incidence in subsequent generations.
A photo from open sources
For example, if one or another hereditary pathology showed in 1% of the population, it will take ninety generations to reduce this indicator to 0.01%, and nine hundred (!) generations – at mating condition – to lower this indicator up to one case per million. But then natural spontaneous mutations will continue, so you have to fight with them until infinity.
Today, of course, genetic engineering is developing rapidly. When, if one or both future parents are carriers of genetic diseases, the doctor may perform artificial insemination in vitro and then carry out the so-called embryonic screening – preimplantation genetic diagnosis to choose healthy embryo for implantation in the uterus.
Similar “miracles” are now being undertaken at a voluntary basis. In the near future, it will be possible to make changes to embryonic, not just somatic (not involved in reproduction) cells. This is included in the overall perspective. eugenic capabilities, sometimes called therapy germinal tract.
The question is: do parents have moral the right to give birth to children with unhealthy heredity? The philosopher and theologian Emanuel Levinas says: “My son is not just mine creation, like a poem or thing. He is not mine own”.
There are serious reasons to relate to the possibility of artificial designing children very carefully. Immediately can be called risk factor for medical errors. Mistakes always are possible. However, this does not prevent us from using medical services.
But there is a more general factor – ethical. In fact, not Is the most important point in the discussion of eugenics someone, based on local criteria, assumes the right decide what properties and abilities of a person are entitled to existence and which not? Key question: how is society (social eugenics) or personality (personal eugenics) can decide what properties are allowed in the offspring?
Does society have the right to influence social and personal decisions? eugenics, can they be regulated? It is this question, his openness, and not always “fanaticism and obscurantism,” works when germinal therapy is considered unnatural. In the very in fact, do we have the right to play the role of the Creator?
From the book “Mysterious phenomena of nature and the Universe” Sergey Minakov
Time Evolution
