The Biblical Perspective of the Human Genome Project

GENOME PROJECT

Adam and Eve were doomed for trying to be like god, this is the same damnation mankind is headed to. Everyones dream is to have absolute power and control of everything. The genome project and DNA engineering gives man the ability to create life and cu omize life to his specific needs of likes. So how good is too good? Mans ability to make life or create perfect human beings so they can be in a state of Utopia will disturb the balance of nature. Every individual, every child born on earth is unique i its own way, not only by looks but also by their character, their DNA. Changing this by producing two of the same kind, of which one is produced in the laboratory, unbalances nature. A clone is a cell, a group of cells, or an organism produced by asexu reproduction, which contains genetic information identical to the parent cell or organism. Although some organisms produce asexually naturally, the first artificial cloning by humans were plants developed from grafts and stem cuttings. Cloning involvin very complex laboratory techniques is a relatively recent scientific advancement in todays world. Among these is the Genome Project, which involves the research and support of Physical Mapping and DNA Sequencing. This would enable Humans to reproduce bies that what most parents want. Completing this DNA sequencing and Physical mapping would enable us to change everything in a new born baby to the likes of the parents e.g. IQ, Color, Strength, looks, gender, etc.

The Human Genome Project (HGP) is a research program for analyzing the structure of the Human DNA. This is achieved by determining the location of the one hundred thousand genes, and finding the sequence of 3 billion base pairs. In the United States of erica, this project is overseen by 2 federal Agencies, the National Institute of Health (NIH) through its National Center of Genome Research (NHGRI) and Office of Health and Environmental Research (OHER). Their major goals are to: Mapping and sequencing NA of the human Genome; mapping and sequencing the DNA of model organisms; computerized data collection; storage and handling of the information, addressing related Ethical, Legal, and Social implications. They recognized that mapping and sequencing the uman genome would impact everyones life. They questioned how this new genetic information should be interpreted and used, who should have access to it, they are concerned that the information might result in anxiety, stigmatization, discrimination. The uman Genome Project has been used for the cloning of genes responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, retinoblastoma, cystic fibrosis, and neurofibromatosis. If other diseases like these are isolated, biologists can learn about the genes pathology of isorders. For example, before geneticists cloned the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) gene, to confirm the diagnosis was expensive and very uncomfortable, the tests were also inadequate to detect carriers. But now, with only a blood sample, geneticists an detect most mutations associated with DMD rapidly. The genome information can be used to detect any gene mutations likely to happen to future generations of a family.

It helps to predict which individuals have an increase susceptibility to diseases such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes, which result from complex instructions between genes and the environment. When biologists compare the human genome with the ge mes of other organisms, they may gain an insight into molecular evolution including human evolution. (New tools for tomorrows health research, 1992). Biologists could use the genes to compare to other genes of other species, they may get more informatn or perhaps even closer to finding out more about the human evolution. The HGP not only helped in the medical field, but also in technology advancement. Its biggest challenge is to find faster ways to map DNA, which will yield way to faster development technology. HGP provides way for new job opportunities in biotechnology, health care, computing and information storage. When Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, it was a symbolic representation of technology and science being misused. It shows that ever thing has a good side and a bad side to it. Mankind is not ready for the consequences it may have from HGP. In the book, Frankenstein represents all the scientists and the monster they created as their invention. Before misfortune tainted my mind, and hanged its bright vision of extensive usefulness into glummy and narrow reflections upon self. (Frankenstein, p. 22). This shows that Frankenstein remembered his happy childhood before he was struck with the idea of creation. As mentioned earlier, genec information may be used to predict sensitivities to various industrial and environmental agents. The damages of misuse and the potential of personal threats to the personal privacy should not be taken lightly.(to know ourselves. U.S. dept. of health

Gene transfer should never be undertaken in an attempt to enhance of improve human beings