Jackie villa

Mr. Silverstein

Biology 10A

14 November 2017

Inequality in Genetic Enhancements

Although the advancements of technology have proven beneficial in the medical fields,

technology created by humans are prone to be exposed to human error; such is the case when

dealing with DNA testings. Medical devices used to read and manipulate DNA--splicing strands

and adding enzymes-- have at times failed to provide the individual with their desired results. For

instance, technology associated with DNA testing are subject to misread the nucleic sequence in

the DNA strands, the DNA may also be spliced at undesired positions, or at times undesired

genes may mistakenly be turned on. All these errors provoked by technological approaches can

cause new difficulties for patients getting treatment and instead of offering a cure it makes

matters worse or introduces new difficulties for the patients whose DNA is being tested. ​With

these intentions i believe that genetically enhancing should have limitations for various reasons.

Such was the unfortunate case for Josiah Sutton, in 1999 when he was wrongly convicted

for sexual assault, as reported by Matthew Shaer in his article “The False Promise of DNA

Testing.” In this case Sutton’s DNA was tested by crime investigators to compare with the DNA

found on the victim’s body. The devices that tested for Sutton’s DNA misread the sequence

causing it to match to the DNA found on the victim’s body. It was only after experts William

Thompson who is a “forensic DNA skeptic” and his wife took matters into their own hands and
retested Sutton’s DNA did they notice that his new results“varied substantially” from the DNA

profile he attained during the trials. (Shaer 1)

An example of the medical devices being put to use and would be ​discriminatory is that

olympians are immediately disqualified when being caught on steroids, so does that mean that

china and other countries that participate in the olympics would not be able to participate if they

are being genetically enhanced because of the advantages they have ? In my opinion i think that

it would be absolutely unfair for a genetically enhanced humans and natural born to be put in a

world olympics competition.

All things being considered all ​this then forces all nations to enter a competitive stage

with China because their citizens now have an upper-hand in terms of genetically enhancing their

physical strength, intelligence, and bodily health. ​Equally important ​students would be superior

to those that aren’t genetically enhanced, and will eventually increase the nation’s economy

through their breakthroughs in technology creating tensions and competition with neighboring

countries.

Rubric Scores: Intro/Conc, Main Pts, Org, WC, Mech

3.5,3,3.5,4,4

18/20

For all students: See me during Study Hall for a breakdown. Late work will not be

allowed a regrade for this assignment. See Google Classroom for status of submission.

Work cited
 Shaer, Matthew. ​The False Promise of DNA Testing ​. June 2016,

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/a-reasonable-doubt/480747/​.

Cain, Patrick. “Privacy Risks Lurk in DNA Tests, Experts Warn.” ​Global News,​ 15 Aug. 2016,

globalnews.ca/news/2879276/privacy-risks-lurk-in-dna-tests-experts-warn/.