Human genetic enhancements: a transhumanist perspective.

Some argue that genetic enhancements and environmental enhancements are not importantly different: environmental enhancements such as private schools and chess lessons are simply the old-school way to have a designer baby. I argue that there is an…

When viewed from the perspective of time, human genetic disorders give new insights into their etiology and evolution. Here, we have correlated a specific set of Alu repetitive DNA elements, known to be the basis of certain genetic defects, with…

In the area of genometry-the nascent field of science and technology that proposes to apply enhanced understanding of the human genetic code to reshaping our individual and collective destinies-research and development directed toward improving the…

Gene therapy for a particular disease like Parkinson's involves ethical principles worked out for other diseases. The major ethical issues for gene therapy (and the corresponding ethical principles) are safety (nonmalfeasance), efficacy…

Natural selection for electrolyte conservation has likely been the norm throughout human evolutionary history. However, the current patterns of excessive dietary salt intake create the potential for salt overload. Under these conditions,…

Modern advances in human genetic and reproductive technologies are among the recent developments disturbing the balance between the spiritual and the material components of life. This paper gives an Islamic perspective on some of these advances,…

The collection and use of genetic data have caused much concern in the German population. Data protection is widely seen as the tool to address these fears. The term genetic data is not self-explanatory, as it depends on the different types of…

The human genome is a mosaic with respect to its evolutionary history. Based on a phylogenetic analysis of 23,210 DNA sequence alignments from human, chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, and rhesus, we present a map of human genetic ancestry. For about…

The central preoccupation of human genetics is an effort to understand the genotypic basis of human phenotypic diversity. Although recent progress in identifying the genes that, when mutated, underlie major genetic diseases has been rapid, knowledge…

Mutations in the human genome lead to genetic polymorphisms in the population. While many of these are considered to be normal variants, many lead to human disease and are usually maintained in the population by a balance between mutation and…