April 17, 2015
OXNARD HIGH SCHOOL, 3400 W. GONZALES ROAD, OXNARD, CA. 93036
Volume 8 Issue 4
Preventing Genetic Diseases
The Good, the Bad, and the Microchip
Elucidating the UK’s ‘three-parent baby’ law By Yadira Vico
Implantable microchips for humans show much controversy By Janine Tadiaman
“One in 6,500 babies in the United Kingdom are thought to develop a serious mitochondrial disorder, which can lead to health issues such as heart and liver disease, respiratory problems, blindness and muscular dystrophy,” said CNN News. The UK is in the process of passing a law that allows the conception of babies by three people. The purpose of this law is to allow women, with mitochondrial diseases, to have a baby without passing on the disease to their child. According to BBC News, there are two methods in which the transfer
and one from the donor, and inserting the father’s sperm into both of them. This creates an embryo from the intended parents and the donor. The pronuclei (haploid nucleus of a male or female gamete) from both embryos are then removed -- the parents’ pronuclei is kept while the donors’ pronuclei is destroyed. To finalize the process, a healthy embryo -- the parents’ pronuclei inserted into the donor’s egg -- is implanted into the mother’s womb. The second procedure is done by collecting an egg from both the mother and donor, and removing most of the genetic mate-
Steps towards repairing an embryo.
can be done. One procedure starts by taking two eggs, one from the original mother
rial. The mother’s genetic material is then implanted into the donor’s egg, which is fertilized by the
father’s sperm. Since the womb is implanted with the donor’s egg, the child will inherit some of the donor’s DNA, causing it to have three biological parents. “The amount of donor DNA in the mitochondria will, however, be much less than the parental DNA in the nucleus, which determines the baby’s characteristics,” said CNN News. Although this may sound like a good idea, not everyone agrees with this procedure. “There are also serious ethical objections to this procedure, which involves the destruction of human embryos as part of the process,” said Bishop John Sherrington. “ T h e Church of England argued that there should be ‘more time for consultation and research,’ while adding that the church did not want to prevent people ‘from benefiting from a major advance in genetics and assisted reproduction,’” said The New York Times.
The use of technology been developing implantable receive the device.” has increased greatly in the chips for the past 15 years, This microchip has been past decades. People rely primarily to tag livestock discussed all over the world. on phones and computers in and pets.” However, humans There were rumors about the their workplaces -- not just are now able to wear these European Union requiring for recreation. Some may devices. newborn children to be imsay that this increase is now The same source said planted with RFID chips as part of everyday routines. In that a sergeant from the Ber- of May 2014. However, snopes.com fact, the recent makings of a gen County Police Departdevice now has people clos- ment, in New Jersey, made said, “Neither the European Union nor er to technoloany individgy than before. ual member N B C country thereNews reportof has enacted ed, as of 2004 regulations the Food and [...] nor has Drug Adminisany legitimate tration (FDA) news outlet approved the reported on marketing of such a story. the Verichip, A l “an implantthough the able computchip means er chip about to be a benethe size of a fit to society, grain of rice, there has been for medical much conpurposes.” The troversy over Verichip, manthe topic. Ian ufactured in Delray Beach, This picture shows one of the few places where a micro- Kerr, a law professor at Florida, is also chip can be placed. the Universiclassified as an RFID. medical history when a scan ty of Ottawa, Canada, said, “RFID stands for Ra- revealed he had a chip in his “Verichip’s [terms and condio Frequency Identification arm. Doctors used the chip ditions] exclude itself from [and] refers to small elec- to access an online database, any liability with respect to tronic devices that consists review his health records, the database, both in terms of being hacked, its security, of a small chip and antenna,” and treat his injuries. said technovelgy.com. National Report News- but also in terms of the acNCBI, the National Cen- paper reported that RFIDs curacy of the information.” ter for Biotechnology Infor- are being issued in Hanna, In other words, Verichip will mation said, “Verichip and Wyoming. “Even select gov- not be held responsible for its parent company, Applied ernment employees and of- anything that goes wrong Digital Solutions, Inc. have ficials have been ordered to with the chip itself.
The Grass is not Always Greener on the Other Side
Some Mexicans share their views on the current insecurity of their country By Stephanie Chavez and Tammera Magana “You cannot go out have higher probabilities of or at night. Also, the conwherever you want freely being kidnapped, robbed, stant presence of anxiety or act normally all the time. or injured.” from not knowing whethYou have to appear more Born in Rosales, Chi- er your family and friends as if you were lost most of huahua, eighty-two year- are safe and well is another the time. Nor can you act old resident of Oxnard, factor.” extravagant or anything California, Jose Pando, “I consider the level like that. You always have said residents in Mexico of insecurity that exists in to appear humble...so you are constantly feeling in- my country today as high. I don’t attract the hunter’s secure. “Some even fear feel safe to some extent beattention,” said twenty-two going to work or going out cause I have an honest way year-old Jose Luis Orozco, with their family.” of living. However, I know who resides in TangancicCitlali Rosales, a sev- I am not exempt from the uaro, Michoacan, Mexico. enteen year-old senior consequences that the inseOrozco said that the at her local high school, curity in my country brings constantly growing insecu- Preparatoria por Coop- upon its citizens. Likewise, rity in his country affects eración Tangancicuaro, in I believe that we do not his daily life approximately Tangancicuaro, Michoac- count with any protection “sixty percent of the time. an, said that insecurity in from the government. That You might work hard to her area affects everyone. is what I am afraid of -- if have something in life, but “Fear and distrust are con- I ever become a victim then if [the criminal groups] stantly around -- as a result of organized crime, those see that you are being suc- there are secondary factors, who should protect me will cessful or that you are do- such as the prohibition of fail,” said attorney Ana Luing well economically, you going out in the afternoons cia Ayala, who resides in
Zamora, Michoacan. Orozco said the reason why insecurity in Mexico became such an immense problem was because of “the corruption of the principal leaders of the government. They were corrupted by racketeering and their ambition kept them from protecting people, so they corrupted themselves and allowed cartels to work.” However, Ayala said the most important factors that made Mexico’s insecurity such an aggravating problem were the lack of education -- “which makes people more vulnerable to crime -- poverty, unemployment, impunity, and the vicious government we have, which shamelessly fills its pockets with the
people’s money, impoverishing the country.” Professional Mexican soccer goalkeeper Rodrigo Gutierrez of Club America said, “In twenty years I see Mexico with [many] social differences. The wealthy people [are] becoming wealthier and the poor [are] becoming even poorer.” Some people foresee a civil war in which the Mexican people will fight for their human rights, others think it is already happening, and some doubt a war is in Mexico’s future. “If the current system to fight against corruption is not changed and if impunity keeps going on, I think we will have an even more dramatic scenario, [and] maybe even armed upris-
ings from the people who are tired of living in misery and being stepped on,” said Ayala. Orozco said in Michoacan “the war began last year. The government is supposed to be there to defend its citizens but they are doing the opposite... Therefore, there will be a moment in which the citizens will have to defend themselves.” An Oxnard High School poll revealed that 29 percent of students thought insecurity in Mexico would decrease with time and 71 percent said it would not. Also, when asked if they thought Mexico might be heading to a civil war, 52 percent said yes and 48 percent said no.