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The Genetic Revolution and The Right to Privacy
Teacher's Student Activities
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Ethics, Mathematics, Global Issues, Language Arts, Business
- To initiate student explorations and a growing understanding of the genetic revolution
- To investigate how the genetic revolution might impact the citizen's right to privacy
- To explore the implications of the genetic revolution on ethical choices, "planned" populations, and decision making for the future
Examine these guide materials. Have students complete the pre-program activities so they will be ready and able to participate in discussions regarding the program.
Originated from Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colorado
STEVEN ROSENBERG, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Steven Rosenberg is Chief of Surgery at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. He is an innovative leader in the battle against cancer. Dr. Rosenberg earned his medical degree at Johns Hopkins University and his doctorate in biophysics from Harvard. During his residency training in surgery, he became interested in the mysteries of the human immune system. In 1970 Dr. Rosenberg joined the National Cancer Institute and went on to pioneer the development of the first effective immunotherapies for patients with advanced cancer. He helped initiate the development of gene therapy and became the first surgeon to successfully insert foreign genes into humans. This brilliant and controversial surgeon-researcher is the recipient of numerous international honors including the recent designation as America's "Scientist of the Year."
JOAN A. STEITZ, Ph.D.
Dr. Joan A. Steitz is a professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. Dr. Steitz is a graduate of Antioch College and earned her doctorate at Harvard. She became an assistant professor at Yale in 1970 and began investigating how a number of small particles, found in all cells, contribute to basic life processes-research which is important not only for basic molecular biology, but also for improving the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases. This respected investigator and teacher is the recipient of many honors including the Dickson Prize for Science, the Warren Triennial prize, and the National Medal of Science (the highest honor America bestows upon its scientific pioneers).
The genetic revolution has put into the hands of human beings powers which a few years ago could only be imagined. Through the techniques of genetic engineering, scientists are able to identify specific genes, remove any one gene from an organism's chromosome, replicate it, analyze and modify the copy, and reinsert the copied genes into their original organism or into the genetic material of another organism.
Already, genetic engineering has had a major influence on science and business, and has begun to alter medicine and agriculture. One can easily envision the powerful changes genetic engineering might bring about as humans harness more of its power. Perhaps the most highly-publicized uses of genetic engineering to date have occurred in the field of medicine. Genetic engineering techniques have made possible large-scale production of certain medically-useful substances, such as insulin for the treatment of diabetes, and interferons for treatment of certain viral infections. Safer, new vaccines may also result from the use of these techniques.
The issue of the right to privacy comes to bear when discussing genetic engineering as it applies to the use of techniques such as genetic fingerprinting and gene therapy. Genetic fingerprinting can be used to determine the identity of a criminal and the likelihood that an individual will inherit certain diseases. DNA amplification is now being used during pre-natal screening and diagnosis. If an individual belongs to a family with a high incidence of a genetic disease, should this be taken into consideration before having children? What is the role of insurance companies which are in the business of spreading unknown risk to their customers when the risk of disease is no longer unknown? The implications are extremely complex.
- Artificial Selection:
In biology, the selective breeding of animals and plants by humans.
- Biotechnology:
The aspect of technology concerned with the application of biological and engineering data to problems relating to humans.
- Chromosome:
Microscopic, threadlike part of a cell which carries hereditary information in the form of genes.
- Cystic Fibrosis:
A hereditary disease that appears usually in early childhood, marked by deficiency of pancreatic enzymes, respiratory symptoms, and excessive loss of salt in the sweat.
- Diabetes:
A genetic disorder of carbohydrate metabolism characterized by inadequate secretion or utilization of insulin.
- DNA:
Abbreviation of deoxyribonucleic acid, organic chemical of complex molecular structure that is found in all living cells and that codes genetic information for the transmission of inherited traits.
- Eugenics:
Science that deals with the improvement of hereditary qualities of a race or breed.
- Gene:
One of the chromosomal units that transmits specific hereditary traits; a segment of the self-reproducing molecule, DNA.
- Genetic Fingerprint:
The unique pattern or blueprint inherited from the parents of an individual which is found in nearly every living cell.
- Heredity:
The transmission of qualities and potentialities from ancestor to descendant through the molecular mechanism lying primarily in the DNA or RNA of the genes.
- Natural Selection:
Preferential reproduction and survival or preferential elimination of individuals with certain genetic compositions by natural means.
- Recombinant DNA:
DNA prepared in the laboratory by breaking up and splicing together DNA from several different sources.
- RNA:
Abbreviation of ribonucleic acid, any of various nucleic acids containing ribose and uracil. It is associated with the control of cellular chemical activities.
- Sickle-Cell Anemia:
Chronic genetic blood condition in which a large proportion of the red blood cells tend to be sickle-shaped, causing chronic anemia, bone and kidney change, and other symptoms. It tends to occur primarily in individuals of African-American ancestry.
- Tay-Sachs Disease:
Fatal hereditary disorder characterized by the accumulation of lipids, especially in nerve tissue due to an enzyme deficiency. This occurs mainly in persons of Jewish extraction and Eastern European origin.
Regardless of what curriculum you are teaching, your students will benefit more from the program if they complete the pre-program activities. Review the featured guests and the reasons they are on the program.
Discuss the following with your students:
- Do you feel that scientists have the right to experiment on the DNA of simple organisms such as bacteria?
- Should scientists try to cure genetic defects such as cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, or sickle-cell anemia by using recombinant DNA techniques? Is it important for scientists to be regulated by the government when using modern biotechnology procedures or experiments? You may wish to duplicate the Issue Analysis at the end of this guide as a tool for students to use in exploring these questions.
Curriculum Connection-Government and the U.S. Constitution
1. The right of privacy is not guaranteed by the Constitution nor even mentioned. However, the Supreme Court has recognized this right through these Amendments which the class should review: The 4th's guarantee of security of person, home, papers, and effects; the 5th's right against self-incrimination; the 9th's safeguard of rights not mentioned, but assumed; and the 14th's due process clause. Privacy cases can be divided into freedom of personal choice and freedom from disclosure. Freedom from disclosure includes mandatory tests, surveillance, and computerized records. The courts' decisions have been mixed. The right of privacy is a controversial, often contradictory, constitutional area. Have students research Supreme Court decisions regarding the right to privacy. (For example, Olmstead v. U.S., 1928 and Irvine v. California, 1954, dealing with wiretaps.) In the light of their research, have them complete the following paragraph in terms of intrusions the genetic revolution might bring into their lives: "Since I believe I have the right to privacy, no one can..."
2. Have students read and analyze the 4th, 5th, 9th and 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
3. Have students find out whether their state constitution has "right to privacy" provisions. Have them write a privacy amendment for the U.S. Constitution. Must specific rights be enumerated? Would certain restrictions be needed?
4. Imagine that your state legislature has passed a law that all persons applying for state employment have a "genetic fingerprint" taken. Have students prepare a Supreme Court challenge to the law's validity. You might duplicate the Court Case Simulation for students to use as they prepare their cases.
Curriculum Connections-Ethics
1. Since the genetic fingerprint is a virtually foolproof means of identification, what are the rights of. a suspect in a criminal investigation? How could this method lead to the conviction of the wrong person?
2. Discuss the ethical questions faced by a person contemplating marriage who is a probable carrier of a genetic disorder such as sickle-cell anemia or Tay-Sachs disease. Does the person have a moral obligation to be tested? Must the prospective spouse be informed? What would you do in similar circumstances? Should couples be required by their insurance companies to undergo such testing as a condition of being insured?
Curriculum Connections-Language Arts
1. Using a Town Meeting format, have students play the roles of animal-rights activist, government official, research scientist, business executive, parent of a child with a genetic disorder, religious official. Within this format, discuss the following issues: 1) A scientist seeks a patent on a new species of laboratory mouse which has been genetically engineered to be used in cancer research. 2) Parents of a child with leukemia seek to conceive another child in the hopes that its bone marrow will match and can be transplanted to save the life of the sick child. You may wish to duplicate the Issue Analysis sheet at the end of this guide as a tool for students to use in exploring these issues.
2. Assign Aldous Huxley's Brave New World for class reading and discussion.
Curriculum Connections-Mathematics
1. Have students bring in some bar codes from grocery items. Compare the pattern of lines. In each case, how many lines are needed to code the number printed under the code? How many combinations can you make with 10 lines? Discuss the findings in terms of the various possible patterns of genetic materials.
2. A number of polling activities are natural extensions of many of the issues discussed in the program. Have the students discuss, then vote on the following issues:
- Should cloning experiments be expanded to include humans?
- Should millions of dollars of government funds be used to pay for mapping the genes on human chromosomes (The Genome Project)? Should this kind of project be undertaken by private industry? By anyone at all?
- Have students mark their opinions on each statement on a scale of one to five, where one is "highly agree" and five is "highly disagree"
- Help students create a data base of their information and have a group of students report on the findings of the class. Curriculum
Curriculum Connections-Global Issues
1. Should our government have anything to say about biotechnology experiments being performed in other countries? If so, discuss why and how.
2. Have students research the subject of eugenics globally. (For example, the use of eugenics to improve crops in underdeveloped countries.)
Curriculum Connections-Business
The business of medical insurance companies is to spread unknown risk among their customers so that the customers are able to obtain medical care when unforeseen illnesses strike. Should these companies be able to require genetic testing as a condition of insurability, so that people with higher risk pay a higher rate? Such a test can often show the existence of conditions such as the gene for Alzheimer's or Huntington's Disease, which may not yet have manifested themselves.
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