Genetic Testing: Would You Want to Know?

This was a very touching article and video. I would do the same thing that Kristen did, if I was to lose my mother to a disease. I think this testing is very important especially at this day and age. If I have a really bad disease that can cause retardation I would't have a child. Not because I couldn't handle it or financially handle it but what happens to my child when I die? Also I have seen children like that struggle in life battling the non-use of their brian or limbs and they don't have a chance in life to survive. As a parent that would KILL me to see them pass away so young. It doesn't have to be retardation that I would want to know I would want to know everything. If they have would have cancer later on in life maybe I wouldn't have a child because I know that all they would be doing is suffering and just sick. If I could keep someone from suffering that is all I would want in my adult years.

In the article Kristen gets tested so that she won't hurt her children or her future family because Huntington's disease is a very serious disease and it is just so hard to see family members with that type of illness. Kristen lived with her mom having that disease note that she didn't know that but she knew that something was wrong with her mom. As a daughter you are very close to your mom and to see her in so much pain that hurts you and you will do anything to stop the pain even if it means that you as a woman and daughter not have children. Kristen makes a point of what kind of spose would want a wife with a disease where you would need constant attention?

So in my opinion yes I would want to be tested so I would know if I am safe and so that my future family would be safe. Also if I would have to tell my spose if I so chose that you will need to take care of me for the rest of my life and yours. I couldn't do that. I am the type of person who likes to plan every single detail in life. I am planning my future house, job, dog, even typical supper ill have when I have as a family. But if I have the chance to see what types of harm I carry I would love to stop that to save the pain of my family and my self.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-04-09/genetic-testing-huntingtons-disease/54475708/1

Old School DNA and GATTACA

We stated looking at DNA in  biology this last quarter and WOW is it crazy! We started looking at "old school DNA". What Old School DNA is getting this paper to sequence DNA which is basically finding were G,A,T,C goes. The picture below shows the dna in colloms of dna. We took a paper and counded the line across from left to right for each person. Then put the codons(

Three-base sequence in messenger RNA that causes the insertion of a particular amino acid into a protein, or termination of translation)

on the back of the paper in a graph and compaired to a normal DNA sequence. Easy lab but extrealmy hard to do.

These are the 4 people we could DNA for. Norm is the normal control guy and the last 3 have something wrong with them. They have at least one codon messed up. In their sequence of DNA. 

This is the paper that we put the codons on and compared them to Norm our normal guy. And we found out that Abby had 1 codon messed up, Bob had 1, and Carol had 7. She is one messed up lady.

This picture above are some notes I took about DNA. It explains what the codes are C-cytosine and G-Guamine are a pair and will always pair up the the sequence of DNA. The last two are A-adenine and T-thyme and they pair up in the sequence of DNA.

Next in biology we watch GATTACA. This movie is amazing and I really hope this doesnt happen in realy life tho.  Below are the question that analyze the movie. Which I would suggest to any person to watch.

1. The following terms were used in the movie. How do they relate to the words we use:

degenerate and invalid?

         De-gene-erate- is a person who hasn't been tested/ elected to be the perfect child.

         In-valid- A person who isn't part of the elite crowd.

         Borrowed Ladder- it is the same as a de-gene-erate and its a term for the shape of DNA.

2. Why do you think Vincent left his family, tearing his picture out of the family photo,

after winning the swimming race against his brother?
Because he thought that side he beast Anton in the race he can go on to GATTACA and become a spaceman. 

Anton is the elite brother who was always better than Vincent and Vincent wants to beat Anton so he can finally be a man.

3. Describe the relationship between Vincent and Anton.

4. When Jerome Morrow said to Vincent/Jerome, “They’re not looking for you. When they

look at you, they only see me,” what did he mean? Can you find any parallels to this type

of situation in real life?
They won't look Jerome because he is the elite personal and Vincent isn't which makes him an easy target to be the blaimed person. In life police won't expect that the goody touches did the crime they go after the lesser of people. 

5. Choose your favorite character from the film. Explain why you choose that person.

Would you want to be that person? Why? Why not?
My favorite person is Vincent because he was cute and he had good drive to do him dream job and be apart of GATTACA. I wouldn't want to be him because he could have got in a lot of trouble and probably killed. 

6. At the end of the film, you are told that the Doctor knew about Vincent all along. Why

did the Doctor go along with the fraud? What would you have done if you were the

Doctor?

Because he said that his son had a dream but couldnt do anything because he was invalid. I would have let Vincent go because he was a good person.

7. The technology to do what was done in the movie is definitely possible within the next

fifty years. Do you think that Vincent’s world could eventually happen in America? Why?

I think it could becuase America is always looking for the elite people.

 

8. What do you think is wrong with the society portrayed in "GATTACA"? What is right?
The dividing people because they are not "valid" is wrong but the science is pretty cool.
9. What were the screenwriters trying to tell us through the episode of the 12-fingered

 

pianist? Is anything wrong with engineering children to have 12 fingers if, as a result, they

will be able to make extraordinarily beautiful music?

People always wont the best and will do anything to get it. The 12 fingered pionest was very weird but now days we are getting pretty close to getting it done.

10. You and your spouse are having a child and are at the Genetic Clinic pictured in the

movie. What characteristics would you want for your child and what would you ask to be

excluded? Why would you make those choices?

I would want a smart kid who wont have a proplem learing something, athletic so they could have fun and im not sure what other things I could wan't I guess.

11. Picture yourself as either Vincent, Jerome, or Anton. Would you have acted the same

or done things differently if you were in the same worl

If I was Vincent I would just except the fact that Im not "valid" and just live a sad life.

d as them?