EDST 391 Ethics & the Human Genome
Name:
Date:
"Calendar"
Assignment for
Day 23
Where will personal genome sequencing take us?
Sam and Will's day!
Required readings:
Writing assignment:
- Please conduct a survey of at least 5 individuals. They should
represent a wide spread of ages.
- Say something like the following to your participants: "In the
not too distant
future, it may be possible for people to get their full genome sequenced
in
order to find gene combinations that indicate their probabilities of
developing various diseases later in life (heart disease,
diabetes, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, late-onset Alzheimers, ALS,
and much more)."
- Then ask them a series of questions, of your choosing, to get
their opinions on the following.
- Would your participants want to get their own genome
scanned to learn their disease
probabilities? Why or why not?
- Do they think that everyone should
get their genomes scanned, say, for their medical records? Why or why not?
- Analyze the responses you get. What patterns, if any, do you see in their answers?
Thinking assignment:
- Please refer to the reading when answering the following questions.
- What are the potential costs and benefits of genome
screening for
one's
own:
- health?
- employment?
- family?
- What are the potential costs and benefits of widespread
genome screening for:
- physicians?
- the health system?
- society in general?
Quiz:
- There will be a short quiz at the beginning of class.