...stretched, or even created many types of technology to draw their plot lines around, and the movie Baby Mama does just that. Baby Mama is a film that presents something as serious as reproduction and the technologies involved in that, and make it hilarious and understandable to your average audience. Baby mama is a romantic comedy film released in 2008. It was written and directed by first time director Michael McCullers, staring Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Greg Kinnear. The main character in the film is Tina Fey’s character, Kate. Kate is an intelligent single 37 year old woman who’s desperately looking to have a child. She attempts adoption but fails due to the fact that she is a single mother. She then picks a sperm donor and tries in-vitro fertilization nine times but does not manage to get pregnant; she finds out that her chances of conceiving a child is slim to none due to the unusual shape of her uterus. With the devastating news she decides to go through an agency for a surrogate mom. For $100,000 the agency finds a match name Angie (Amy Poehler). Angie is a working class high-school dropout. She’s similar to a child, with no sense of responsibility, eats junk food all day, and is very immature. This juvenile personality of...
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...The control and manipulation of genetic material has become common place in our society. What was once the dream of science fiction authors and fans has become reality. Such topics as stem cell research, in vitro fertilization, and cloning have created quite a stir in scientific communities. However, these advancements do not come without a cost, or without ethical dilemmas. First, a definition of these terms is required. Following that, we will explore some topics and the ethics associated with them. Stem cells exist in all living things. These cells go on to either produce more stem cells or specialize to become different types of living tissue. Stem cells can be broken down into two main classifications, embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells, as the name would imply, are only found in developing embryos. These cells are the most versatile. On the other hand, adult stem cells are only able to transform into a select few types of tissue. (Bongso & Lee, 2005) In vitro fertilization involves the fertilization of an oocyte outside of the female reproductive system. Fertilization occurs in a Petri dish, after which time the embryo is reintroduced into a female uterus where it is allowed to implant and develop. (Seibel, 2008) Cloning is a scientific method of producing an offspring that is genetically identical to the parent. In cloning, only one parent is required, therefore it is considered to be asexual reproduction. (Rugnetta, 2012) All of these...
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...topic has to do with the problem surrounding the reasons for designer babies. A designer baby is defined as “a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with in vitro fertilization to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics". (Web Source) Some people say that this process is unnatural and should never have even been created. Others say that this process is the way of the future, and that everyone should undergo this operation. Whichever side people lie on, there are valid points for both sides of the argument. Personally, I believe that children should not be produced for medical reasons under any circumstances because it would create an in equality amongst society, it could cause harmful long term effects and it takes away the child’s rights. Firstly, if this process gained popularity it would create an inequality amongst society and create children with added benefits. The process that creates designer babies is called Vitro Fertilization and it involves “monitoring and stimulating the development of healthy egg(s) in the ovaries. Then collecting the eggs and securing the sperm. Then combining the eggs and sperm together in the laboratory and provide the appropriate environment for fertilization and early embryo growth. Finally, transfer the embryos into the uterus”. Children that are created from this process are seen as “perfect” or “desirable”. This causes a division between children who did not...
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...ETHICAL ANALYSIS Almost since its discovery, in vitro fertilization (IVF) has been a subject of moral controversy, with every stride forward accompanied by opponents determined that it not proceeds. Today some arguments once made against the process have fallen by the wayside, while others remain unchanged. In the article about the first test tube baby – Louise Brown the main agents are Mr. John Brown and Mrs. Lesley Brown they are the couple that is not able to conceive for almost 9 years. They were referred to Dr. Patrick Steptoe, a gynecologist at Oldham General Hospital, and Dr. Robert Edwards, a physiologist at Cambridge University. Over the many centuries since God’s order, children have been born by natural means. However, among the estimated 40 million couples of childbearing age who live in the United States, 8.5% are involuntarily infertile. Obviously, many more infertile couples around the world can be added to this more than 3 million in the United States. For these couples, in vitro fertilization (IVF) offers new promise. The main argument of in vitro fertilization is to help infertile couples to be able to conceive a child of their through science. IVF separates the unitive and the procreative aspects of marriage thus it is not allowed by the Catholic Church. It is a mortal sin to separate the unitive and the procreative aspects of marriage. In addition the sperm donor commits a mortal sin in order to harvest the sperm which is needed for IVF. Although one human...
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...Who Can Stem Cell Research Save? Human stem cell research is a widely controversial topic in the United States. Most controversy concerns are religious, moral, and legal contestations regarding human embryos. Research on human embryos have been approved in other countries such as Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Greece, Britain, Denmark, and the Netherlands, it remains a controversy issue in the United States. In the United States the States are split on whether it’s enforcing a complete ban or allowed funding in some States for stem cell research. President Clinton passed Dickey Amendment which cut off all Department of Health and Human Services and all federal funding for stem cell research on human embryos. Private funding was still aloud for the research. In 2001 President George Bush approved limited funding because of the great outcomes it could one day give us with cures for diseases and disorders. On the first issue, are these embryos human life? Well, one researcher told me he believes this five-day-old cluster of cells is not an embryo, not yet an individual but a pre-embryo. He argued that it has the potential for life, but it is not a life because it cannot develop on its own. An ethicist dismissed that as a callous attempt at rationalization. "Make no mistake," he told me, "that cluster of cells is the same way you and I, and all the rest of us, started our lives. One goes with a heavy heart if we use these," he said, "because we are dealing with the seeds of...
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...Human Gender Selecting Jessica McIntosh Medical Office Management Dr. Bridget Kelly Bryant & Stratton ABSTRACT This paper aims to provide a concise review of the ethical issues that are commonly raised in the debate between non-medical sex selection and natural selection. Background information on sex selection technologies is provided, as is a description of the process regarding the medical procedure. Arguments for and against gender selection will be explained and compared and conclusions will be drawn. Included will be the pros and cons of gender selection. Finally, the views of people I know as well as my own. Aside from cases in which it is used to prevent an inherited disease more likely to strike one gender than the other, should parents be permitted to use technology that selects the gender of their children? One of the first pieces of information that parents receive about a newborn baby is its gender. The widespread use of ultrasound technology during pregnancy even allows many parents to find out whether their baby is male or female before it is born. In recent years, technology has enabled parents to go one step further. They can now, with a good chance of success, take steps to select the gender of their children. While gender selection is legal in the U.S., it has generated some controversy among the medical advisory groups that tackle questions of bioethics. For instance, although the sperm-separation method is widely endorsed for families...
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...The desire to reproduce is at the core of one’s biological being. The aspiration to pass on genetic makeup through offspring is perhaps the most innate evolutionary urge that is shared among all animals. The ability to pass on one’s DNA through offspring is one of the most basic, evolutionary and universal trait that is shared among all species and one that has stood the test of time. It is a natural form of ensuring that a part of one’s legacy will remain long after one’s passing. Regardless, of whether or not one is afflicted with the biological urge to conceive, one cannot underestimate the societal pressure that is placed on having children. Everyone, at one point or another, has to face the inevitable question by family or friends: “When are you planning to have kids?” or “Why don’t you have children?” Society views having children as a rite of passage and is a universally shared expectation of individuals. Therefore, naturally it is quiet distressing when one is unable to reproduce by natural means. In today’s contemporary society, man is so used to controlling its world and has devised many ways to overcome the constraints set forth by nature. For example proper family planning often involves the use of contraceptives in order to avoid an unplanned pregnancy, and when people are ready to have a child, they sometimes discover that achieving conception is not as easy as they imagined. According to World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Center of Health Statistics...
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...controversial topic in today’s society. This topic brings up many ethical questions about it is right to do the research or not. Stem cells come from embryos that are only a few days old. The ethical issues that arise are many. If one believes that an embryo is a baby upon fertilization, then one would feel that this was unethical to do the research no matter what the benefits would be. On the other hand, some feel the benefits of what can be learned from stem cell research outweighs the ethical and moral dilemmas that are argued. This long debate brings about many questions about the ethical approaches, that there have been restrictions placed on the research in the lines of what type of embryos can be used for the research. Ethical or not there are always two sides to debate, stem cell research is no different. Throughout this paper I will discuss the ethical issues that stem cell research brings into light and the benefits that stem cell research brings into light that may just outweigh the ethical issues, then determine it these benefits and ethical issues really make stem cell research the most beneficial way to help cure diseases such as juvenile diabetes, Parkinson’s disease or even spinal cord or neck injuries. Argument for Research Stem Cell research can help scientist discover more about human cells and how they grow, change, and replace damaged cells within the body. The information that can be learned is priceless. Using this research has made many breakthroughs in medical...
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...reasons. Stem cell research, though hotly debated, could possibly change or save millions of lives. This is why I believe Stem Cell Research should be continued. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Also, while the moralities of others should be considered and respected as much as possible, it shouldn't take precedence when the benefits of stem cell therapies have the potential to be so many. Definition of stem cells Stem cells are cells with the ability to divide many times and can eventually develop into many different tissues that perform specific functions. The two types of stem cells are embryonic and adult (or somatic) stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are obtained from embryos, most of which are left over attempts from in-vitro fertilization. They are then placed in a culture dish in the hope that they will continue to multiply and not differentiate. Somatic stem cells are cells acquired from adults in tissues that need to generate more cells to maintain themselves and function (such as bone marrow). Scientists typically have much more difficulty trying to generate adult stem cells in cultures than embryonic stem cells. Stem cells can be totipotent, pluripotent, or multipotent. Totipotent cells are the most useful, because they can become any cell or tissue type. The middle ground between totipotent and multipotent are the pluripotent cells which can develop into all cells with the exception of germ cells. Multipotent cells, those found in adults, can develop into few...
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...2006).” In my opinion, the field of regenerative medicine is the key to a longer, healthier life. Without the use of human stem cell research, the conditions and diseases that plague the world will never be cured. The history on human stem cell research legislation in the United States is just under a decade old. On August 9th 2001, then, President George W. Bush told the United States the regulations for human stem cell research. The regulation stated that only certain types of human stem cell research could be funded by the federal government. “The National Institute of Health (NIH) funding for research using human embryonic stem cells derived from other sources, including somatic cell nuclear transfer, parthenogenesis, and/or in vitro fertilization embryos created for research purposes, is not allowed under these Guidelines ("Draft national institutes," 2009).” Some states disagree with this legislation; California, New Jersey, and Connecticut for example, have adopted different legislation to provide state funds to most forms of human stem cell research (Newton 2007). New York, Illinois, and California “permits research on embryonic stem cells, embryonic germ cells and adult stem cells from any source ("Stem cell research," 2008).” In wake of President Barack Obama, the legislation for human...
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...In this essay I am going to look at the ethical issues of reproductive medicine (RM), focusing on in vitro fertilization (IVF), embryo selection and surrogacy. I will present, discuss and evaluate arguments put forward and echoed by both sides of the dilemma. RM is directed at helping people overcome their medical problems with procreating, i.e. creating new human life. However, as long as some RM techniques produce technically superfluous pre-embryos, RM has to deal with life and death decisions about inchoate human beings that are in a developmental phase about whose moral status hardly anyone has well-grounded intuitions or generalizable beliefs (Human Reproduction Update 1996, Vol. 2, No. 5 pp. 447–456). The ethics of reproductive medicine...
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...Embryonic Stem Cell Research: The Next Best Thing Have you ever gone to the doctor when you are not feeling well? The doctor probably gave you some good advice and maybe a pill and you felt better in about a week. This happens every day all over the country every day. But what happens when good advice and a pill will not help this time? A diagnosis of organ failure, spinal cord injury, and diabetes, Parkinson’s disease or Huntington’s disease is life altering. After the shock wears off you might start researching different therapies and come across something called stem cell research. Stem cell research has been around since the 1970’s but has gotten a lot of attention in the last several years. It has even risen to the level of Presidential campaigns: Senator John Kerry (D) made embryonic stem cell research a major theme in his 2004 run for President. The controversial issue comes in when the discussion turns toward embryonic stem cell versus adult stem cells. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells found throughout the body in tissue and organs. Undifferentiated cell are cells that have not specialized. They are there to repair and maintain the tissue or organ where they are found. Stem cells are also found in in the cord blood in the umbilical cord of newborns. The last place is embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are very special because they are pluripotent; they are capable of becoming any cell in the body as opposed to an adult stem cell that is limited...
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...implications, assisted reproduction also has some moral, social, and religious concerns coupled with some psychological and biological or genetic implications both to the conceived embryos and their mothers. It is not an overstatement to adduce that there are disastrous health implications and consequences associated with assisted reproduction, which more often than not are overlooked by physicians and those desperate for children. There are three main types of assisted reproduction namely – artificial insemination, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), and surrogacy. The ethical concern of these procedures is that they are unnatural method of conception, creating life in the laboratory, and fertilizing more embryos than would be needed, which often leads to massive abortion. Creating “man-made human beings” could be morally and religiously unethical. Doing things unnaturally such as assisted reproduction could have some devastating consequences. For instance, in vitro fertilization usually comes with multiple births which are often accompanied by infant mortality, low birth weights,...
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...Abortion Abortion has been a long standing social problem leading to political debate which has only resulted in a standstill with no progress towards a solution. For those who are for abortion say that the idea of individuality and human life is not quite the same. Idea of a human life has come from conception. Simultaneously on the other hand, fertilized eggs used for in vitro fertilization are also human lives but eggs unable to implant are routinely thrown away. Those who are against abortion say that abortion is badly affecting our society today. People in huge numbers feel it to be evil as it kills an unborn for no reason. Conversely, others believe that it is a woman’s legal right to choose abortion especially in case of incest, rape, or health issues threatening life of a mother. A couple decades ago, when abortion was illegal, thousands of women died because they did not want to bear an infant and attempted to terminate the child's life by themselves or with an unprofessional approach. After 1973's Supreme Court decision, which allowed women to have the choice to abortion, thousands of women were saved. Abortion can save thousands of lives of women and thus, should remain legal in the United States. Imagine you have a balance beam. On one side you have the physical life of an infant and on the other you have the mental and emotional life of a mother and her unwanted child. Which side can we, as civil humans, claim as more valuable? Up to this current day, abortion...
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...It is always a constant battle between whether designer babies are ethically and morally correct or wrong. Another argument against designer babies is that they would it would lead to an uncontrollable imbalance between the rich and the poor. Ronald Bailey describes the cost of advanced reproductive technologies in an article he titled “Hooray for Designer Babies.” According to Bailey, IVF will run a couple about $7,500 due to the medical and lab staff needed to perform the procedure. Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis will cost an additional $2,500 (Bailey par. 4). To most that is an extremely large amount of money and to others it is pocket change lying around. There is a possibility that the rich will get richer, and the poor will continue to get poorer. As of now, it is not possible to genetically enhance physical or physiological traits, but in the future it...
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