1/21/2020 Ethics of Karyotyping | Nandini IB Biology

8th October 2014 Ethics of Karyotyping

Karyotypes are digital images of the 23 pairs of chromosomes in human genome. The karyotype image is prepared
by staining the chromosomes of a cell with a dye and photographing them with a microscope. These images are
can then be used to determine the gender of the baby or chromosomal anomalies such as trisomies. As a result,
many pregnant women decide to abort fetuses with chromosome abnormalities or on the basis of gender.

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A karyotype for down syndrome (right) is
compared to a normal karyotype (left).

Although karyotypes are useful in studying prenatal fetuses, there are many ethical considerations to be looked
at. An important issue in the field of genetic screening is which genes we should screen. For early childhood diseases such as
cystic fibrosis, down syndrome and hemophilia, the answer seems to be a decisive yes. However, do parents have the right to
abort a pregnancy if the karyotype shows these anomalies? On the other hand, would it be right to have the baby even if parents
know that their child's life will be affected by the disease?

Karyotyping doesn't only affect those with early childhood genetic disorders, but also those who are predisposed for late onset
diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. It is not ethically right to terminate a pregnancy if someone has the genes for a disease
that will affect them 60 or so years later. In the case of Huntington's disease,for example, the afflicted suffer loss of memory,
mental acuity, and are unable to voluntarily stop muscles moving in their body (Adult Genetics). Would a person want to
know such information and live with it for everyday of their life? And do others have the freedom to make that choice for
them?

Not only are fetuses aborted based on genetic abnormalities, but also based on gender. Thousands female fetuses are aborted
each year because of the social stigma attached to having a baby girl. Although governments are starting to make laws against
abortion based on gender discrimination, the social stigma attached to birthing a girl still result in severe consequences for the
family, especially the mother.

On the other hand, karyotyping for genetic anomalies can help parents prepare themselves psychologically and financially as
diagnostics and treatments are expensive. In the case that parents decide to abort the baby, they are reducing the frequency of
harmful alleles in the gene pool.

Keeping all these issues in mind, it becomes difficult to draw a line where karyotyping is ethical. I think that karyotyping for
genetic anomalies is acceptable, whether or not parents decide to have an abortion based on that karyotype. However, I think
that the gender chromosomes should not be shown to parents to avoid gender-based abortions. Furthermore, genetic screening
related to alcoholism or homosexuality should not be conducted either. This type of genetic screening will only result in a race
to create the perfect human being. Racism is the discrimination against races, than
could one say that organisms would discriminate against those who would be not of the genetically preferred. Imagine a society
that would consist of the upper, middle, and lower classes,and the outcasts, the genetically inferior people.

"Adult Genetics." Mountsinai.on.ca. Mount Sinai Hospital., 1 Jan. 201. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.
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1/21/2020 Ethics of Karyotyping | Nandini IB Biology

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Posted 8th October 2014 by Nandini

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