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From World News Tonight to the cover of Science magazine, the Human Genome Project (HGP) has attracted much attention. For the past few years, the HGP has been at the forefront of science news and publicity. It has been built up to be the largest breakthrough in the history of modern science. This project will revolutionize the practice of medicine by drastically improving the treatment and / or prevention of numerous diseases and defects. The HGP is in the process of sequencing all the protein bases of DNA in a human, and although each persons DNA is unique, scientists agree that there is a certain sequence common to everyone.
Finding this sequence and recognizing what parts of the DNA do what is the ultimate goal of the HGP. This task, developed in 1990, didnt just seem difficult at its time of conception; it seemed impossible. However, expected advancements in technology have occurred along the way, placing the task within reach. What will stem from these findings will for sure make a significant impact on modern medicine.
The Human Genome Project is an international research program attempting to construct detailed genetic maps of the human genome, to determine the sequence, to localize the approximately 100, 000 genes in the genome, and to be able to analyze all of this (The HGP 1). The term genome refers to the sum of all genes, which are made of DNA (Speed 7). DNA is made up of four similar chemicals (called bases), which are also called amino acids. They are called guanine, cytosine, thymine, and adenine. These four amino acids are repeated in a certain order throughout three billion pairs in the human genome (Human 5). It is this certain order that makes each person unique.
Scientists do say, however, that humans are enough alike that there is a genomic sequence that can function as a standard for all of humanity (Speed 2). To find this sequence is the major goal of the HGP. Jack Robertson, in his article in the Sacramento Business Journal paints a picture of the future with the HGP in hand. Cancer will be gone. Birth defects will disappear like childhood diseases did a generation ago.
An understanding of the entire sequence of human genetics will allow doctors to identify potential problems - and fix them - before many diseases ever take hold. (14) The Hgp's impact on medicine is expected by many to be a tremendous one. The information uncovered is expected to uncover new ways to treat, cure, or prevent thousands of diseases. Thomas Hayden, in his article The Year We Control Our Destiny in Newsweek magazine, explains just how big the success of the HGP is by saying that it is so big it could make the computer look like a minor innovation (88). On the horizon is a new era of medicine based less on treating symptoms and more by looking to the genetic causes of disease. This will pave the way for earlier treatments of countless problems, both physical and mental (Human 5). Craig Venter, head of a private HGP group and president of Celera Genomics, explains that this is possible because every disease and trait has a genetic component (q.
in Hayden 91). This is the reason that Dr. Sandy Lowden, expert in the field of genetics, believes that genetics will become the core science of medicine since our genes are essentially the cores of ourselves (q. in D Allegro 28).
Amidst all the scientific talk about the HGP lie some very exciting breakthroughs. The way medical professionals approach the field of medicine will change drastically, for the better. No longer will doctors have to perform multiple tests to find what someone is ailing from, but rather take a simple blood test and find which genes in the person are defective. In essence doctors are able to get to the root of the problem, as opposed to the current trial and error method. This same practice of inspecting genes will be useful for preventative measures. For example, when a child is born or even still in the womb, the childs DNA can be screened and matched to that of normal DNA (which is what the Hgp's major goal is to find).
Whatever deviation there is from the replica to the childs DNA will show doctors what the child has wrong with them, or what the child is predisposed to. This flaw in the childs DNA could then be manipulated by genetic engineers, eliminating whatever disease that would (or could) have taken place in the childs life. These manipulations in DNA would take place through single or multiple blood transfusions. Although all of these advancements seem amazing, they dont come without some possible downfalls. Being able to change genes to prevent disease, or simply look at genes to determine optimal therapeutics, also gives medical professionals the ability to alter genes for other purposes. These purposes could include changing characteristic traits in unborn babies to conform to what the parents want.
This could include anything from hair color and height to muscle build and body structure. Just the mere ability to have ones genes available to be monitored also raises the question as to who should have access to these genes, and the fairness as to the use of gene monitoring for insurance, employment, or social purposes. The completion of the HGP, however, will bring forth many advancements in the practice of health and medicine, far outweighing the controversial practice of genetic enhancements and the issue of gene accessibility that may accompany the project. One of the most anticipated advancements, and the major reason the HGP will be beneficial to society, is the increase in preventative health measures. Craig Venter has a very optimistic view of the future of health care. His hope is that within ten years every baby will have their complete genome sequenced on a disk before they ever leave the hospital (Ridley 67).
Being able to fix problems at their genetic source will completely revolutionize medicine. Imagine your son or daughter being born, and before you can even take him / her home, the doctors inform you that he / she will have Parkinsons disease later in life. At the same time the doctors inform you of this terrible news, they are replacing your childs defective gene with a healthy one. And almost like magic, your son or daughter is suddenly perfectly healthy. This switch from diagnosis and treatment to prediction and prevention will soon be a reality. The second major advancement stemming from the HGP will be the newfound knowledge involving cell defects, and how doctors will be able to revolutionize the way in which organ defects are dealt with.
Donor organs are not nearly abundant enough in todays society, as 300, 000 people die each year awaiting a heart transplant (Speed 2). However, with the information from the HGP at hand, doctors will be able to grow new cells based on existing healthy cells. For example, doctors will soon have the power and the knowledge to take cells from a healthy liver, put them into a defective liver, and watch it grow into a healthy one at about one tenth the cost of an organ transplant. Procedures such as these would save an unbelievable amount of lives and money, due to this amazing breakthrough technology obtained by the HGP.
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Research essay sample on Potential Health Benefits Of The Human Genome Project
