Now that you have completed Chapter 3, take your learning a step further by testing your critical thinking skills on this scientific reasoning exercise. As we move closer to the day when genetic screening and engineering become commonplace, many scientists are raising concerns about the social, ethical, and political implications of this genetic revolution. Who should decide what constitutes a genetic “defect”? Should genetic screening be required? Who would decide who must be screened?
Another source of worry is how the privacy of the individual will be safeguarded. In nations that do not have universal health insurance, critics fear that insurance companies might require genetic screening before they write a policy, using that information either to deny coverage or to charge exorbitant premiums to those individuals who carry a defective gene or genes that might lead to chronic illness.
Another fear is that some individuals may want to use genetic screening and gene therapy to “improve” individuals who have traits that are not lethal but are simply less desirable. Should a parent, for example, be permitted to use genetic engineering to make a short child taller or a hyperactive child quieter? To help bring your own thoughts on these controversial issues into sharper focus, answer the following questions.