The United Kingdom is in the process of drafting legislation that will legalize a new form of in vitro fertilization that takes the mitochondria from one fertilized egg and combines it with the nucleus of another fertilized egg. Mitochondria are the “power houses” of most “higher” organisms (eukaryotes) and have their own genetic code (check out endosymbiosis to find out more!). 1 in 6500 babies has mutations in their mitochondrial DNA that cause conditions such as muscle weakness, blindness, heart failure and even death. Some say that this process will avoid these complications, while others think that it crosses a line of human engineering. Please comment your thoughts!
Posted on: Sun, 07 Jul 2013 06:00:10 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015