Monday, December 15, 2014
Gattaca Reflection Questions
1. During a scene in GATTACA, Vincent’s parents visited a doctor who specialized in
child conception to select for the best traits for his future brother. They
hoped that his brother would have the best possible chances for a successful
life. Some of the traits mentioned in GATTACA
included intelligence, height and any possibility of inheritable diseases. If you decide to have a child one day and are
given the opportunity to select for special traits, would you do so? Why or why
not?
2. Molecular biology scientists have developed a
technique which enables parents to select the sex of their future child. This
technique simply separates the X carrying sperms from the Y carrying sperms,
and then inseminating females with the preferred sex chromosomes. This
procedure is currently banned in Canada Canada
3.
Imagine that you are in your late
30s or early 40s and decide that you want a child. You realize that you’re at greater risk of
having a child with Down’s syndrome. If you find out that this child has this condition,
do you think it’s appropriate to have an abortion? Why or why not?
4.
During a gala party scene in GATTACA,
a woman submits a saliva sample from a recent kiss to screen her potential
boyfriend/husband’s DNA. Is she violating his rights by doing this without his
knowledge? Is this in anyway similar to performing a background check? How much
would a DNA screen reveal about someone’s personality and intelligence?
5.
Knowledge of one’s genetic screen could profoundly affect the price of
insurance. Insurance companies operate
on a risk assessment basis, where individuals with a greater potential of
developing health complications are charged more than individuals who are
deemed healthy. Insurance companies look at statistics to determine how much
their clients should be charged. With current advancements in genetic testing, there
is the potential to discriminate those with “bad genes.” It is quite possible
that individuals classified as high risk individuals may be denied the
opportunity to purchase insurance. However, insurance companies must operate as
a business, looking out for themselves and their clients’ best interests.
You are an individual who has obtained
a genetic screen and would like to purchase some insurance. Results show that
you’re at extremely high risk for developing cancer and hypertension. However,
you are currently a healthy individual who doesn’t smoke and exercise on a
regular basis. Explain why you should be given the opportunity to purchase
insurance at a reasonable price.
6. Sperm and egg donation service agencies offer
hope to infertile parents who hope to conceive their own children in the
future. Sperm donation is a relatively easy process, requiring no more than an
hour’s time. However, donating eggs is a rather complicated task, requiring
months of hormone therapy and minor surgical procedures to retrieve the
harvested eggs. In addition, drugs injected into women cause their ovaries to
ovulate several eggs at once, greatly increasing the odds of developing cancer.
To compensate for the ‘inconvenience’, women are given a large sum of money.
Often, young, female college students are targeted for egg donations since they
are considered more educated and healthier that their older female counterparts.
Do you think females should be
compensated for donating their eggs? Why or why not? Is it appropriate for egg
donation agencies to advertise for potential egg donors on college campuses?
