The Social, Ethical, and Economic Implications of the Human Genome Term Paper - 1

The Social, Ethical, and Economic Implications of the Human Genome Project for Society - Term Paper Example Social implications include major advances in medical treatments, but also changes in people’s attitudes and behavior due to new procedures like testing when symptoms arise or screening before any disease symptoms are apparent. Ethical issues include balancing individual interests against the interests of others, and such considerations as potentially racist applications and unforeseen consequences of information which gene-related activities can produce. Some of the most critical issues such as privacy and the desire not to know are highlighted. Financial implications for society at large, private companies and for individuals are explored. Finally, there is the assessment of the extent to which the Frankenstein metaphor applies to this project. The paper concludes that the Human Genome Project is an extremely powerful resource which can be used for good or evil purposes and that we have resolved some but by no means all, of the major ethical issues that it brings. The Human Genome Project promises a revolutionary insight into the genetic â€Å"blueprint† of the human body. Consider the social, ethical, and economic implications of this project for society and the potential for applications of this research. Genetic engineering is a relatively new science, which rests on the pioneering work of Gregor Mendel on the garden pea, leading to the formulation of Mendel’s laws in 1866. (Thomas, 2003 pp. 1-3). It was only some fifty years later that the true significance of his discoveries was realized.