Cells and Molecules - Brutes or Angels: Human Possibility in the Age of Biotechnology - page 27

Cells and human values
What does modern cell biology have to do with human values? As we move
through the topics in this topic, we will see that modern biotechnologies
raise questions and issues about life that were less urgent or nonexistent
before the Age of Biotechnology. some of these include defining person-
hood and the moral status of human embryos, describing human nature
and choosing whether or how to change it via biotechnology, defining life,
learning how to behave as creators of new life forms, and deciding what
elements of life may be sold or patented. rebecca skloot (2010) treats the
latter issue especially poignantly in her 2010 topic about henrietta lacks,
a woman who, without giving her consent, supplied cells used for human
cell research and for profit worldwide for the past six decades. Knowing
about cells, genes, and embryos is important for tackling the tough ethical
issues raised by modern biotechnologies.
science cannot tell us how to proceed in these and other areas where
biology, ethics, and society intersect. for decision-making guidance on
the future directions for biotechnology research and use, science needs to
hear from non-scientists and, especially, from the lay public. 18 in demo-
cratic societies, citizens ought to have a significant voice in how new tech-
nologies are developed and used. so we all must decide where to stand on
the ethical issues raised by twenty-irst-century biotechnologies and speak
out with our votes, letters, and personal interactions. There is no revers-
ing the continuing advancements in biotechnologies. And as time passes,
opportunities to influence how biotechnologies are woven into the fabric of
human society may dwindle. The stakes are high. Technological and intel-
lectual revolutions in the past have wrought permanent changes in how we
live, behave, and think, and the biotechnology revolution will do the same.
for the lay public to provide wise guidance to scientists and legislators,
it must know something about the science upon which society-altering bio-
technologies are based. This is why knowing about cells matters. This topic
aims to encourage informed decision-making that is respectful of and em-