Topic > Gene editing as a possibility for same-sex parents to have children

Human beings will be able to modify our genes in order to reduce the risk that some genetic defects are transmitted from generation to generation, or will be able to give the same genes? to sexual couples the opportunity to have genetic children? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayGene editing has been the basis of many science fiction films such as Gattaca, a film in which science has progressed to the point that children are conceived through genetic selection to give parents the healthy child they desire, and films like the X-Men series where mutants exist both because of experiments and biological Darwinism. However, gene editing is not just about modifying the genes of humans or animals, gene editing also includes plants; an example of this would be modifying plant genomes to advance crop transformation. Every day there are new advances in gene editing, and therefore new possibilities arise through these advances; such as the possibility of same-sex parents having their own genetic children. An example of progress in gene editing comes from China. A group of scientists have successfully modified the genetics of same-sex mouse parents to allow them to give birth to their own genetic offspring. This progress means that same-sex couples will eventually be able to have their own children without the need for artificial insemination or surrogacy. Reproduction by parthenogenesis or gynogenesis exists with vertebrates such as fish, reptiles and amphibians but does not exist in mammals. The article states that: “In the 1980s, elegant pronuclear transplant experiments performed by the Solter and Surani laboratories suggested that mouse development required both maternal and paternal contributions, implying the presence of genetic asymmetries of two parental chromosomes.” The experiment attempted to create both bimaternal mice, mice with two female parents, and bipaternal mice, mice with two male parents. To create healthy young people, the researchers had to cut positions in their genetics using "molecular scissors" known as CRISPR-Cas9. In bimaternal mice they cut three positions, and in bipaternal mice they cut seven positions. After this step the researchers moved the altered cells into an unchanged immature egg for the female mice and then implanted the egg into a surrogate so it could develop. Creating bipaternal mice in this experiment was more difficult because to create an embryo, there must be an egg. In male mice, the researchers injected sperm and stem cells into an immature, nucleus-deprived egg. In order for the modified egg to grow, they had to encourage it to grow outside the uterus before implanting it into a surrogate mother. The difficulty of creating bipaternal offspring is not only present in the experiment where laboratory fertilization techniques are present, but the successful reproduction of two males in nature is extremely rare and can only be found in some fish under experimental conditions. Once the experiment was concluded, 29 healthy puppies were born, these puppies lived to adulthood and even had children of their own; however, 210 embryos in total were used, suggesting that the process was inefficient. Why is this experiment important to the scientific community? Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay The experiment provided the scientific community with the necessary factors to.