Disadvantages of Embryonic Screening
Biology: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 6.1.25
Disadvantages of Embryonic Screening
Although embryonic screening has advantages, it also has disadvantages:
Parents become selective
- If mismanaged, this technology could become a way for parents to select the most desirable embryo as their child-to-be.
Expensive
- In the short-term, screening is an expensive process.
Discrimination
- There is the potential that defining the desirability of an embryo based on their genetic make-up could promote discrimination.
- i.e. people born without the use of screening could be considered second-class citizens.
Ethics
- The embryos that are not used are destroyed. This can be considered unethical or against religious views.
Test yourself on Disadvantages of Embryonic Screening
What is not a disadvantage of embryonic screening?
What is a risk of embryonic screening if the process becomes mismanaged?
Select the statement that correctly describes each disadvantage of embryonic screening
Which two disadvantages of embryonic screening are both based on judging an embryo before it is chosen, rather than on what happens afterwards?
Why could judging an embryo's desirability based on its genetic make-up increase the risk of discrimination?