ETHICAL ISSUE FOR UNIT I

The beginning of the term “genetics” came about around 1909, and with small effect on the biological studies of human behavior. Systematically studying biological behavior and more closely human behavior had begun hundreds of year prior. Looking into what make humans and other closely relate animal behave the way they do. It was always difficult to define and explain behavior but with the announcement in early February 2001 of the human genome being completely mapped brought new possibilities in find out what make us tick the way we do. When comparing behavioral genetics with heredity and environmental influence the confliction is apparent and difficult to side with.
The human genome has about 30,000 genes that make up about 250,000 proteins. These proteins transcribe over to the cells to metabolize in fashion for the cells task at hand. In the human DNA 95 percent of it doesn’t even code for these proteins. The view of the human genome currently is it’s 30,000 genes aren’t complex enough to in fact influence behavior. Behavior like other traits carried by humans take multiple genes to influence them and not very much evidence is there to surround it. So, the ethical question is to continue studying and putting forth the money or place it by the way side.
Heredity is all based on the genetics passed down from one generation to another. A yellow Labrador instinctively knows how to retrieve, as does a border collie know to herd its stock. Do the genetics passed down from generations, coded in the DNA tell them what to do, or something else? If science is use to influence these genetic what is the reason they can’t be enhanced. There still is found to be a link in some genes to effecting mentation, aggression or criminality. If found to be true that a humans behaviors are pre-patterned in their DNA, that would have huge affects on our society. Environmental influence is still to be argued what makes humans behave. The DNA can only place code to get everything moving. It is up to society and then personal life experiences to create the behaviors. That can be a problem when faiths believe in a more divine creation and would have large ethical issues to deal with it.
The advancements of science are surely breaking new ground in genetics. The influence of society has and will greatly effect how far it can go. Government has started to show interest with legislation and state law. The behaviors of humans are still and will be an issue. While it is still undetermined were behaviors build from, the genetic study can continue to use scientific theory to help understand it better. It is getting easiler to show the distant relationship between biology and behaviors of humans. It may someday show us a better world.