Bioethics and the Appropriateness of the Human Genome Project - Dissertation Example

The advancement in medical sciences, biology, and technology, has brought about new procedures and developments that potentially have the capability of being both beneficial and harmful, to the living world. Bioethics as a subject is primarily concerned with the various debates and controversies that arise from the perspective of the ethical implications of these developments. There are many conflicting opinions and notions that not only question how technology operates within the realms of biological sciences, but also how biological and medical sciences relate to the lives and basic moral and ethical codes of human beings.

There are many conflicting dimensions that involve bioethics and scientific innovations, making it difficult to delineate right from wrong. Bioethics manifests itself in various ways and covers within its scope many sensitive issues that may range ranging from the role of the state, to the use of new technologies that may be important for the army, yet, on the other hand, deemed as a direct violation of human rights. There are various other questions relevant to medical sciences and bioethics, like; should there be a right to die?

What constitutes the abuse of medicinal drugs? Are DNA clones ethically correct? Often there are biological researches that involve conducting experiments on live animals that may cause harm or even death. Thus, despite the promise for a better future in terms of human health, knowledge, and development, one must decide whether future advancements must be derived at the cost of one’s ethical and moral values (Webb, 2001), and this is where bioethics plays an important role in monitoring the processes of science and technology.

The field of biotechnology is not an invention of the modern era and has been a part of human evolution for centuries. With an unpredictable and often hostile natural world and a thirst for more knowledge, human intellect has always aimed at enhancing human skills and abilities. Age-old biotechnological processes include plant and animal breeding mechanisms, and beer, bread and cheese fermentation processes.