of the human genome far outweigh the potential risks from decoding the genome “Many traditional therapies address the end stages of disease. These new therapies will address the disease process, so if a person has Alzheimer’s disease or diabetes, we will develop medicines that stop or slow down the disease process” (Friend 3). The following causal analysis will use an inductive argument in order to support the contention that science should be permitted to manipulate the human genome in the interest of medical progress.
One mistake or one flaw in a genetic sequence can cause a genetic disease or give an individual a predisposition to a genetic disease, like breast cancer or alcoholism. The genetic blueprint of the human DNA molecule represents the holy grail of biology because of its enormous impact on human life. By definition, the human genome is a “string of letters representing the four substances that make up every gene: adenine, thymine, guanine and cystosine, referred to simply as A, T, G and C. The whole genome contains about 3.5 billion such letters” (Friend 4). Once the sequence of letters that make up DNA are known, scientists are better able to understand the most fundamental causes of disease. This allows for them to develop treatments targeted at a specific genetic flaw or mutation. The very definition of the human genome makes an argument on its own for permitting scientists to manipulate it. This is because we can never hope to understand how the human body functions without such a map of the very substance of human life. Trying to cure diseases that are genetic in nature without having a genetic map and full understanding of the individual genes responsible, is like trying to find one’s way in a dark maze “The real advance is being able to identify more efficiently genes associated with human diseases. Perhaps the most important point is to contrast how we are today compared to two years ag...