How has medical technology increased the strength of our gene pool?
Some might argue otherwise, but, the present gene pool for Homo sapiens is considerably strong. Those that do not believe that this is the case would argue that through the use of medicine, we are diminishing our own gene pool. The use of medicine in the modern world is used to ensure the survival of as many individuals as possible. This means that we are potentially saving those that would ultimately be selected against if naturally if there wasn’t the medicine and technology that we have today. This belief that we are destroying our own gene pool is valid as we are aiming to maintain the selected against genes within our population, however, by doing so, we are ultimately broadening our gene pool.
What is incredible today is the fact that we, through the use of medicine, are able to help and potentially save those who struggle with genetic anomalies that would naturally bring about their death. Modern medicine enables us to save those who would naturally be selected against, broadening the depth of our genetic pool.
Genetic diversity of Homo sapiens has risen dramatically over time as we are now not limited as to who we can breed with as through modern technology, we are able to safely travel and interrelate with cultures all around the world. Such advancements in technology enables the introduction of new alleles in the Homo sapiens population, and as genetic diversity continues to increase, so does our gene pool. What must also be recognised is the fact that this diversity is not limited, as advancements in the modern world will only continue to excel, and with this, genetic diversity will increase around the world at a rapid rate. So, it can be confidently said that even if some might view our gene pool now as weaker than what it could be, in time, with the mass population of Homo sapiens living on Earth and the ability to continue to introduce new allele combinations into the population, the Homo sapien population will have an ever strengthening gene pool in the future.
The medical field today is ever expanding, with advancements being introduced every day. These discoveries and further understandings now allow us to control our own gene pool for the future and this then allows us to increase our genetic diversity safely. Through procedures such as In-vitro, we are now able to enable people to have offspring when they have been selected not to. By allowing this offspring to be conceived, we as a population are manipulating the production of different alleles that can be introduced into our population, furthering our genetic diversity. So, it can be said, that modern technology allows us to introduce alleles into our population to aid our genetic diversity and hence our gene pool. This diversity, at a present time, will then only become more diverse as time goes on. What must be addressed however, is the latest adaptions that allow parents to select the phenotypes of their future offspring. This medical discovery is not truly a beneficial advancement for our gene pool. By being able to select a phenotype, more and more of the Homo sapiens population will be showing a less diverse genetic make-up, as people will continue to pick attributes that they have seen on other human beings. This will reduce the gene pool of our population in the future as offspring will not be produced through the natural stages of meiosis.
Although modern science can lead to a lack of diversity, it is integral to remember that its modern adaptions will for the most part, increase the genetic diversity of the Homo sapiens population. We as a whole will become far more adaptable, as through a greater diversity within the gene pool, we will be more adaptable to the introduction of new selection pressures. This advantage will allow increased survival of our species if we were to be hit by selection pressures, such as disease, as we have such diversity in our gene pool.
Although some argue that using medical developments to act against the natural selection pressures placed on our Homo sapiens population is wrong and weakening our gene pool as we are keeping genetic abnormalities within our gene pool, medical developments also have the ability to change the selection pressures that act upon us. We as humans are able to give ourselves an advantage in life as we are able to manipulate the pressure that act upon us, and through medical technology, we are able to overcome potential threats of extinction. Conclusively, the advancements in modern medical technology allows us to control our own selection pressures, ensuring that we can preserve and further diversify our gene pool.
What is incredible today is the fact that we, through the use of medicine, are able to help and potentially save those who struggle with genetic anomalies that would naturally bring about their death. Modern medicine enables us to save those who would naturally be selected against, broadening the depth of our genetic pool.
Genetic diversity of Homo sapiens has risen dramatically over time as we are now not limited as to who we can breed with as through modern technology, we are able to safely travel and interrelate with cultures all around the world. Such advancements in technology enables the introduction of new alleles in the Homo sapiens population, and as genetic diversity continues to increase, so does our gene pool. What must also be recognised is the fact that this diversity is not limited, as advancements in the modern world will only continue to excel, and with this, genetic diversity will increase around the world at a rapid rate. So, it can be confidently said that even if some might view our gene pool now as weaker than what it could be, in time, with the mass population of Homo sapiens living on Earth and the ability to continue to introduce new allele combinations into the population, the Homo sapien population will have an ever strengthening gene pool in the future.
The medical field today is ever expanding, with advancements being introduced every day. These discoveries and further understandings now allow us to control our own gene pool for the future and this then allows us to increase our genetic diversity safely. Through procedures such as In-vitro, we are now able to enable people to have offspring when they have been selected not to. By allowing this offspring to be conceived, we as a population are manipulating the production of different alleles that can be introduced into our population, furthering our genetic diversity. So, it can be said, that modern technology allows us to introduce alleles into our population to aid our genetic diversity and hence our gene pool. This diversity, at a present time, will then only become more diverse as time goes on. What must be addressed however, is the latest adaptions that allow parents to select the phenotypes of their future offspring. This medical discovery is not truly a beneficial advancement for our gene pool. By being able to select a phenotype, more and more of the Homo sapiens population will be showing a less diverse genetic make-up, as people will continue to pick attributes that they have seen on other human beings. This will reduce the gene pool of our population in the future as offspring will not be produced through the natural stages of meiosis.
Although modern science can lead to a lack of diversity, it is integral to remember that its modern adaptions will for the most part, increase the genetic diversity of the Homo sapiens population. We as a whole will become far more adaptable, as through a greater diversity within the gene pool, we will be more adaptable to the introduction of new selection pressures. This advantage will allow increased survival of our species if we were to be hit by selection pressures, such as disease, as we have such diversity in our gene pool.
Although some argue that using medical developments to act against the natural selection pressures placed on our Homo sapiens population is wrong and weakening our gene pool as we are keeping genetic abnormalities within our gene pool, medical developments also have the ability to change the selection pressures that act upon us. We as humans are able to give ourselves an advantage in life as we are able to manipulate the pressure that act upon us, and through medical technology, we are able to overcome potential threats of extinction. Conclusively, the advancements in modern medical technology allows us to control our own selection pressures, ensuring that we can preserve and further diversify our gene pool.
Figure 8.1 above: Double Helix H2O. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2015.