Film – Cracking the Code of Life
30 points
Links to an external site.
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Due Sept 21
Answer the following questions on Canvas
Write two-four double spaced pages that answer the following questions. You can also use the Internet to find additional information, but if you are quoting someone else make sure that you cite the author and give me the reference. If you do not know who the author is, you can just cite the address of the web page. Using other people’s work without citing them is considered academic dishonesty. You can answer the questions by number (1-6) or combine your answers into one essay.
From the Film
What was the purpose of the Human Genome Project?
What is Tay-Sachs disease? How is it inherited?
Gene Therapy – What is Gene Therapy?
From the film and these two sites – What are the dangers and promises of gene therapy (why does it sometimes work but not always?)
https://medlineplus.gov/genesandgenetherapy.html Links to an external site.
Another thing that people are trying is called Gene Editing – what is it and how is it likely to change what it means to be human?
https://www.thetech.org/ask-a-geneticist/why-crispr-revolutionary-and-how-it-works Links to an external site.
https://singularityhub.com/2017/04/18/gene-editing-could-change-what-being-human-actually-means/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
4. From the film – A) What was the Iceland Genetic Database project about? What is the purpose of the project and how did the researchers plan to carry it out? Note that DeCode was acquired by Amgen, a California Company, for $415 million dollars in 2012 and there is an ongoing debate about what they are going to do with the Icelandic database.
4. B) Genetic tests are becoming more common as scientists link genes to more diseases. There are currently over 2,000 genetic tests. This site run by the National Library of Medicine and other organizations is a good reference to understanding diseases with genetic components. Go to this site and pick a disease
https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/ Links to an external site.
What disease did you pick? What are the symptoms of this disease? How is it inherited? Do you think genetic testing will help to cure or prevent this disease? Why or why not?
5A. From the film – why is it dangerous to have mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes?
5B. It is now getting to the point where genes could be removed from egg or sperm cells prior to fertilization (if in vitro fertilization is used). Do you support the idea of genetically designing babies? Do you think this could lead to a new eugenics movement? See link
www.wiringthebrain.com/2013/05/the-new-eugenics-same-as-old-eugenics.html (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
6A. After viewing the Human Genome film, what do you think are the most positive (or best) aspects of the Human Genome Project (and how the results could be used in the future to change our lives)?
6B. After viewing the Human Genome film, what do you think are the worst (or most dangerous) aspects of the Human Genome Project?
*please let me know if you can’t open the links, I will resend them*
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