genetic screening essays

genetic screening essays Genetic screening, also known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), is a newly emerging technology that has brought with it much controversy. PGD involves the in vitro fertilization of an embryo. The embryos are allowed to develop to a 6 to 10 cell stage, at which point one of the embryonic cells is removed from each embryo and the cellular DNA is analyzed for chromosomal abnormalities or genetic mutations (Botkin, 1998). In doing this, it can be determined which embryos will be most likely to implant and germinate successfully in the uterus. PGD is a complicated, technologically sophisticated process. It is a union of in vetro fertilization technology and molecular biology (Botkin, 1998). Though it has numerous positive attributes, there are equally as many negative ones. In fact, this issue is one that has recently become the subject of many heated debates. Proponents for the use of PGD assert that this test allows for parents with fertility problems to maximize their opportunity for conception and birth. Their adversaries argue that this process is morally questionable, and though it is seen as safe alternative to abortion couples can experience the same psychological effects as if they were dealing with an actual abortion (Botkin, 1998). Obviously, this is an issue that does not have one distinct answer. Each opposing side has raised some poignant arguments. Those who are in favor of PGD generally use the arguments that it allows for the transmission of human genetic diseases to be reduced (McClure and Tasca, 1998). Before the usage of PGD the only other way to determine the existence of genetic diseases was by the use of prenatal diagnosis in the form of amniocentesis or chronic villus sampling (CVS). Currently, CVS can only be performed in the ninth to eleventh week of pregnancy, and amniocentesis can be performed in fifteenth to eighteenth week (McClure and Tasca, 1998...

Japanese for Beginners - How to Start

Japanese for Beginners - How to Start Do you want to learn how to speak Japanese, but dont know where to start? Below you will find lessons for beginners, writing lessons, information on pronunciation and comprehension, where to find dictionaries and translation services, information for travelers to Japan, and  audio and video lessons. Try not to be overwhelmed. The Japanese language will seem very different at first from your native language, but it is not as hard to learn as many people think. It is quite a logically laid out language and once you learn basic reading skills it will be easy to pronounce any word you can read. Introduction to Japanese Are you new to Japanese? Familiarize yourself with Japanese and start learning basic vocabulary here. Japanese Vowels: Learn the pronunciation and how to write them in hiragana.Japanese Verb Conjugations: See the conjugations for the most common verbs.Japanese Grammar: Learn the characteristics of how sentences are constructed.Japanese Writing Systems: An overview of the three writing systems.Greetings and Everyday Expressions: Useful for tourists.First Meetings and Introductions: These tips will help in both business and social interactions.Simple Japanese Phrases: Learn a variety of simple phrases. Learning Japanese Writing There are three types of scripts in Japanese: kanji, hiragana and katakana. Japanese does not use an alphabet and all three systems are commonly used. Kanji has blocks of meaning and thousands of characters. Hiragana expresses the grammatical relationship between kanji symbols and katakana is used for foreign names. The good news is that hiragana and katakana have only 46 characters each and words are written as they are pronounced. Japanese Writing for Beginners - Introduction to Japanese writing and understanding how kanji, hiragana, and katakana are used.Kanji - 100 Most Frequent Characters: With thousands of different characters, these are the meanings of the top 100. Pronunciation and Comprehension Familiarizing yourself with the sounds and rhythms of the language is a good place to start. Audio and video lessons can help. Hearing someone speak in Japanese and being able to answer appropriately is very rewarding for the beginner. Audio PhrasebookJapanese Language Videos: Use these videos to see how to pronounce sounds from Hiragana and to use different expressions. You may learn better by seeing as well as hearing a person speak in Japanese. Japanese for Travelers If you need quick survival skills for your trip, try these. Japanese for Travelers: Learn phrases relating to getting around by train, taxi, bus, car, air, and walking.How to Order at a Restaurant: Youre going to need to eat, here are phrases that will come in handy. Dictionaries and Translations Choosing the right words for a translation can be difficult. There are many ways to look up Japanese words and to translate from English to Japanese and back again. Top 3 Japanese Dictionaries: If you want a book to have handy either on paper or electronically, these are the best.Top 10 Online Dictionaries: Access these from your mobile device or computer.Learning About Translating: Its not as simple of plopping words into an online form.Online Translations: The best of the bunch.