Module 1.

Essay Reading (Midterm)

Lewis Wolpert’s the Medawar Lecture.
Questions:

Difficult terms or concepts

1. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

- BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) is an incurable, degenerative
neurological disease that is found in cattle and is caused by an odd transmittable
agent called a prion. It is commonly referred to as mad cow disease. The illness is
marked by behavioral changes, loss of movement control and difficulty in
standing. Unfortunately, BSE is a terminal condition. The cause of the
transmissible agent is still unclear. At present, the commonly accepted
explanation is that it is a variant of a regular protein called the prion protein. The
cause of why the regular prion protein is transforming into a harmful form that
hurts the nervous system of cows is still mysterious. Data suggests that the first
BSE cases in cows came about in the 1970s and two situations were identified in
1986. It is believed that BSE was caused by cows being given meat-and-bone
meal with BSE-contaminated products from a naturally occurring BSE or scrapie-
infected sheep items. Scrapie is an infectious prion disorder found in sheep. It is
widely accepted that the outbreak was propagated and propagated throughout the
cattle industry in the United Kingdom through the offering of bovine meat-and-
bone meal that had been rendered and infected with prions to young calves.
2. Nanotechnology
- Nanotechnology is the study and manipulation of matter on a very small scale,
with dimensions measuring from 1 to 100 nanometers. This is known as the
nanoscale. Nanotechnology can expand the surface area of a material, which
enables more atoms to interact with other substances. Because of its increased
surface area, nanometer-scale materials are usually stronger, more resilient, and
more conductive than their larger-scale counterparts. Nanotechnology is not the
same as microscopy, but rather a field that takes advantage of the special physical,
chemical, mechanical, and optical properties of materials that exist at the
nanoscale. According to the National Nanotechnology Initiative, this gives
scientists the ability to work on materials at an even smaller level.
3. Cloning
- In biology, cloning is the process of producing similar populations of genetically
identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria,
insects, or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to
processes used to create copies of DNA fragments (molecular cloning), cells (cell
cloning), or organisms. The term also refers to the production of multiple copies
 of a product such as digital media or software. We will focus though on the
biological context of cloning.

4. Eugenics
- the selection of desired heritable characteristics in order to improve future
generations, typically in reference to humans. The term eugenics was coined in
1883 by British explorer and natural scientist Francis Galton, who, influenced by
Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection, advocated a system that would allow
“the more suitable races or strains of blood a better chance of prevailing speedily
over the less suitable.” Social Darwinism, the popular theory in the late 19th
century that life for humans in society was ruled by “survival of the fittest,”
helped advance eugenics into serious scientific study in the early 1900s. By
World War I many scientific authorities and political leaders supported eugenics.
However, it ultimately failed as a science in the 1930s and ’40s, when the
assumptions of eugenicists became heavily criticized and the Nazis used eugenics
to support the extermination of entire races.
5. Vitro Fertilization
- IVF is a complicated set of treatments to assist with fertility, prevent genetic
issues, and help conceive a baby. During IVF, mature eggs from the ovaries are
collected and combined with sperm in a laboratory. The embryos that are created
are then put into the uterus. The whole IVF process takes about three weeks,
although it can take more time if the steps are broken up into smaller parts. IVF is
the most successful type of assisted reproductive technology. It can either involve
the use of the couple's own eggs and sperm, or eggs, sperm, or embryos from a
known or unknown donor. In certain circumstances, a gestational carrier who has
an embryo implanted in their uterus may also be utilized.

Insights
- By reading the "Lewis Wolpert's the Medawar Lecture," I initially assumed that
Science and Technology were synonymous; we use scientific knowledge to create
gadgets and tools that can solve problems and accomplish various tasks.
Nonetheless, I was mistaken. It is clarified that Science and Technology are not
the same. Unlike technology, sound scientific knowledge is impartial and has no
moral or ethical significance. Researchers are not responsible for the
technological applications of science; due to the unpredictable nature of science, it
is impossible to predict what discoveries will be made or how they may be
utilized. Aside from that, I've also encountered a lot of unfamiliar terms while
reading the Medawar Lecture which I've categorized as difficult terms or
concepts. I'm really intrigued and having the urge to find out what those terms
are.