Feature
Textbook Article
Genetically Modified Foods — Do Potential Problems Outweigh Benefits?
Updated June 16, 2010 — There is a food fight going on, and you may need to choose a side. Genetically modified (GM) foods have been on the market since the early 1990s, and today most foods in U.S. grocery stores have GM ingredients. But the wide availability of GM food also raises concerns on topics ranging from health to the environment. Should you be worried about eating GM foods?
Textbook Article
When Knowledge and Ethics Collide
Updated May 31, 2010 — Our ability to change living things grows as we learn more about life. But sometimes biotechnology makes us question whether we should change organisms just because we can. Maybe the technology is dangerous or maybe it challenges our values. Consider the greenish pig in the photo. A gene from a fluorescent jellyfish was added to its genome by genetic engineering. Genetic engineering holds great promise for medicine. But how and when should we alter an organism’s genes?
Textbook Article
Stem Cell Research — Potential Solutions, Practical Challenges
Updated May 3, 2010 — A news program asks viewers to vote online: "Should stem cell research be banned? Yes or no?" Some people claim that stem cell therapy will revolutionize medicine. Others believe that some types of stem cell research violate ethical standards and are not justified by the potential benefits. Between these two positions exists a wide range of ideas about what is or is not acceptable. Would you know how to vote?
Textbook Article
Medical Technology — The Genetic Forefront
Updated May 3, 2010 — A college student comes down with the flu. Worried about missing class, he goes to an emergency clinic and is given a prescription for an antiviral flu drug. Thirty minutes after taking the first pill, he is gasping for breath and his heart is racing. He is rushed to the hospital, where doctors tell him he has had an adverse reaction to his antiviral medication.
Textbook Article
The Loss of Biodiversity
Updated March 9, 2010 — Extinction is occurring at a rate that is 1000 times faster than any time in the past 100,000 years. Wide swathes of rain forest are being destroyed as humans develop the land for agriculture and other human needs. Because rain forests are areas with high biodiversity, each time an acre of land is lost, species that once lived there may be lost as well. Why is biodiversity important? How does its loss affect you?