Germinal choice technology
Encyclopedia
Germinal choice technology refers to a set of reprogenetic technologies that, currently or that are expected to in the future, allow parents to influence the genetic constitution
s of their children. This could be done through genetic screening of blastocyst
s (early embryo
s), or through germline
engineering
, which refers to human genetic engineering
used to alter gene
s in the first cells of the blastocyst.
Screening technologies have been in use since at least the mid 1990s to reduce the incidence of genetic disorders, and what can be tested for is expected to become increasingly sophisticated in the early 2010's. Maturation in these fields would increase the range and sophistication of decisions open to parents. Germline engineering and even the engineering of human artificial chromosome
s (which presently allow increased reliability) are presently being done in animals.
Genotype
The genotype is the genetic makeup of a cell, an organism, or an individual usually with reference to a specific character under consideration...
s of their children. This could be done through genetic screening of blastocyst
Blastocyst
The blastocyst is a structure formed in the early embryogenesis of mammals, after the formation of the morula. It is a specifically mammalian example of a blastula. It possesses an inner cell mass , or embryoblast, which subsequently forms the embryo, and an outer layer of cells, or trophoblast,...
s (early embryo
Embryo
An embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
s), or through germline
Germline
In biology and genetics, the germline of a mature or developing individual is the line of germ cells that have genetic material that may be passed to a child.For example, gametes such as the sperm or the egg, are part of the germline...
engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, which refers to human genetic engineering
Human genetic engineering
Human genetic engineering is the alteration of an individual's genotype with the aim of choosing the phenotype of a newborn or changing the existing phenotype of a child or adult....
used to alter gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
s in the first cells of the blastocyst.
Screening technologies have been in use since at least the mid 1990s to reduce the incidence of genetic disorders, and what can be tested for is expected to become increasingly sophisticated in the early 2010's. Maturation in these fields would increase the range and sophistication of decisions open to parents. Germline engineering and even the engineering of human artificial chromosome
Human artificial chromosome
A human artificial chromosome is a microchromosome that can act as a new chromosome in a population of human cells. That is, instead of 46 chromosomes, the cell could have 47 with the 47th being very small, roughly 6-10 megabases in size, and able to carry new genes introduced by human researchers...
s (which presently allow increased reliability) are presently being done in animals.