Surgeons? No thanks, I prefer robots.

Every day, technology continues to grow and revolutionize the world.  It has exceeded anything our grandparents could fathom.  During their youth, the notion of examining an unborn baby in its mother’s womb was limited to imagination. Today, ultrasounds are used daily to monitor the health of the baby and its mother.

Countless medical inventions have bettered understand of the functions of the body. The stethoscope by Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec has expanded our learning on the circulatory and respiratory system by allowing doctors to listen to the patient’s breathing and heartbeat.  The X-Ray by Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen lets doctors investigate within the patients’ bodies, including their bones. The endoscope by Phillip Bozzini permits doctors to investigate within the body, especially the digestive, urinary, respiratory and cardiovascular system. Composed of a lighting system, image transmission system, bending mechanism and channels for air, the endoscope has permitted a deeper examination of the human body. 

One medical advancement from Canada is the discovery of insulin (Figure 1). Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas.  It decreases the blood glucose level by increasing its rate of utilization by the cells. Without insulin, the raised sugar levels may cause damage to the heart, eyes, kidneys and nerves. Therefore, insulin saved the lives of millions of diabetic patients.

Other Canadian medical contributions include the invention of the bone marrow compatibility test by Barbara Bain in 1960, the world’s first heart pacemaker by Dr. John A. Hopps in 1950 and the invention of a dual tone receiver by Michael C.J. Cowpland in 1972. The heart pacemaker was further developed by William Greatbatch who inserted a minute battery, inventing the first implantable pacemaker (Figure 2).

Recently, Canada has performed the world’s first all-robot surgery. Canadian physicians have successfully treated a prostatectomy patient using a Da Vinci surgical robot and an anaesthetic robot named “McSleepy”. It is the first of its kind to administer anaesthesia to a patient. McSleepy was developed by McGill University in Montreal, Canada. This computerized system administers three standard drugs used for putting patients under for surgery, and monitors their effects automatically. McSleepy can calculate the appropriate drug doses of anaesthesia faster and more precisely than a human. This piece of technology has been designed to analyze biological information and adapt to changes.

Currently, Professor Jake Barralet of McGill University is working to develop artificial bones. Although this research is under clinical trials, scientists have discovered a new technique of growing artificial bones from a modified version of an ink jet printer (Figure 3). Professor Jack Barralet described the process: "The 'paper' in our printer is a thin bed of cement-like powder. The ink jet sprays the cement with an acid which reacts with it and goes hard. That deals with one layer. Then new layers of fresh powder are sprayed on top and the layers build up to the shape we need". If the studies are completed, and the results are successful, this would be a major breakthrough in the field of bone graft surgery.

Pictures

Figure 1: Insulin was discovered by Banting and Best at the University of Toronto. Insulin lowers the blood glucose by increasing the rate of utilization by the cells. 

Figure 2: A pacemaker is a small device to helps the heart to beat more regularly. Pacemakers can help adjust heartbeats that are too slow, too fast or irregular.

Figure 3: The process of creating artificial bones, currently being studied and tested by Professor Jake Barralet of McGill University. This is creates perfect facsimiles of bones that can be used to replace the damaged bones.

Work Cited

"About.com: Http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dm22in.html." Inventors. A Science Odessy, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dm22in.html>.

Bellis, Mary. "Canadian Inventors and Inventions." Inventors. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/Canadian_2.htm>.

Bellis, Mary. "History of the X-Ray." Inventors. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://inventors.about.com/od/xyzstartinventions/a/x-ray.htm>.

Bellis, Mary. "Invention of the Cardiac Pacemaker - Artificial Hearts - Electrocardiography." Inventors. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcardiac.htm>.

Bland, Eric. "Discovery News : Discovery Channel." Discovery Channel : Science, History, Space, Tech, Sharks, News. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/05/13/mcsleepy-anesthesia-02.html>.

Chiedozie, Anjus. "The History of Endoscopes | EHow.com." EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Trusted Advice for the Curious Life | EHow.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/about_5454639_history-endoscopes.html>.

Naveen. "Top 10 Artificial Technologies Ready To Create A Real Human Being - Science Ahead." Science Ahead: This Blog Is a Window to the Ever-happening World of 'science' The Blog, Complete with Information and Views, Introduces Amazing Developments in Arenas like Technology, Nanotechnology, Space, Gadgets, Robots, Communication, Architecture Etc. N.p., 23 Apr. 2007. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://www.scienceahead.com/entry/top-10-artificial-technologies-ready-to-create-a-real-human-being/>.

Roguin, Ariel. "Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec (1781–1826): The Man Behind the Stethoscope." Clinical & Medical Research. N.p., 1 July 2006. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. <Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec (1781–1826): The Man Behind the Stethoscope>.

Yamaguichi, T. "The Function of the Endoscope." PubMed.gov. Apr. 1990. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2366385>.

"YouTube - McSleepy." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U6-44cudw4>. 

Blogs Commented

Mary's BioBlog

Wayne's BioBlog

Welcome to the Farm, where genetically modified food is grown.

Most people imagine that their food is grown on a happy farm. The chickens run freely in their coops and the cows roam the pastures eating grass. Consumers are unaware of how their food is raised. In reality, the chickens are genetically modified, to grow bigger. The extra weight causes the birds’ leg to collapse, or causes heart failure (Figure 1). The cows are force fed corn which is not part of their natural diet resulting in health concerns for the animals (Figure 2). The farming techniques are so unethical that multiple food companies refuse to be interviewed about their product productions.

There are two types of agriculture. The first type is Sustainable Agriculture, which is the increase in food yields without damage to the environment.

Pros	Cons
·    No chemical pesticides, herbicides and insecticides.	·    Small Scale Production
·    No growth hormones	·    Products are expensive
·    Raise wide range of animal breeds and crop variety. Farmers raise animals and plants adapted to the surrounding environment.
·    Fair wages and sanitary working environment.

The second is Industrial Agriculture, a food system of large scale agricultural production with the use of chemical pesticides, etc.

Pros	Cons
·    Large Scale Production	·    Use of chemical pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides
·    Products are cheaper	·    Use of antibiotics, growth hormones, and genetic engineering
	·    Rely on monoculture crop system à few selected breeds are grown.
	·    Unsanitary conditions in the farm houses or slaughterhousesà cause food-borne diseases.

Sustainable agriculture is more ethical, but industrial agriculture is cheaper. Many companies follow the latter to increase their gross profit. As a result, industrial agriculture is causing the genetic diversity is declining.

Our food supply is based on a small variety of crops, including corn and soy beans. There is controversy involving soy beans. Monsanto, a chemical company, developed a soy bean, called Round Up, that was resistant to a certain pesticide (Figure 3). In 1996, when Monsanto began to sell Round Up, only 2% of soybean in the US contained the patent genes. By 2008, over 90% of the US soybeans contained the genes. Soon all the soy beans will contain the patent gene. The genetic diversity among this crop will decrease and less productive breeds will become extinct. Also, if a disease that destroyed the soy beans with the patent genes were to develop; most of the crops would be destroyed and the food industry would suffer.

Sustainable agriculture is capable of providing for the rapid growth of global human population, if some changes were made. Currently, the food industry is concerned about money; the cost for materials and labour (Figure 4). There are cases of companies using cheap ingredients to keep the food flavourful and/or using illegal immigrants for cheap labour. If the companies take the steps to improve their product manufacturing, such as improving the working environment for their employees, then the unethical industrial agriculture will eventually evolve into moralistic sustainable agriculture while producing the yield needed to serve the population.

Pictures

Figure 1: Some companies genetically modified the chickens so that they grow bigger and faster. The birds are growing at such a fast rate, that the bones and unable to develop. As a result, many chickens are extremely weak in the legs. Also, many chickens die from heart failures due to the extra weight.

Figure 2: The cows are force fed corn which is not a component of their natural diet. Corn is given becuase it is a cheap alternative and helps to fatten the animal. 

Figure 3: The Roundup Soybeans produced by Monsanto. These soybean seeds are resistent towards a certain pesticide.

Figure 4: A comic to demonstrate the wages paid to the labor workers in industrial agriculture.

Work Cited

 "Food | Beef: Glossary." New American Dream Home. Web. 06 Feb. 2011. http://www.newdream.org/food/glossary.php.

"Randomwiktor's DeviantART Gallery." RandomWiktor on DeviantART. Web. 06 Feb. 2011. http://randomwiktor.deviantart.com/gallery/?q=un natural#/dm07op.

"S - Sahel to Systems Theory - Geography Dictionary." ITS Tutorial School (ITS) Hong Kong - English Tutor HK, IELTS Tuition, IB, IGCSE, SAT, GCSE, HKDSE Teacher, UK A Level. Web. 06 Feb. 2011. http://www.tuition.com.hk/geography/s.htm.

 "YouTube - Food INC Documentary Movie On Who Is In Control Of Your Food Must See 7 / 10." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 30 Dec. 2010. Web. 06 Feb. 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVDuRSkx-30.

Food Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Perf. Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser and Gary Hirshberg. Food Inc. 30 Dec. 2010. Web. 12 Jan. 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVDuRSkx-30.

 

Frosch, Dan. "Article « The Dernogalizer." The Dernogalizer. Web. 06 Feb. 2011. http://madrad2002.wordpress.com/tag/article/.

 Melissa. "An Apology to Peas." Mundane Ethnography. 15 Aug. 2010. Web. 06 Feb. 2011. http://www.mundaneethnography.com/.

Blogs Commented On

http://jayy-tan.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-not-farmits-factory.html#comments
http://adorablogs.blogspot.com/2010/11/foods-we-eat-could-kill-tons-of-other.html?showComment=1295970505210#c7383247691071252700



Build•A•Baby Workshop

“At Build· A·Baby Workshop, our mission is to bring to life your perfect, designer baby. Come and select from our wide variety of hair colours, body structures, and more.”

This may be the cash cow of the future. “Designer Baby” is a term created by the media to describe the future use of genetic technologies to alter embryos and select desirable or cosmetic traits.  These techniques require InVitro Fertilization, which is the process of fertilizing egg cells with sperm outside the female’s body.

Advantages of Designer Babies

Some couples can not have children because the children will either die before they are born, or die at an early age. Advancements in genetic technologies allow such couples to expand their families.

Using such genetic techniques, scientists are able to prevent children from having genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis or muscular dystrophy. This allows the children to live a life free of genetic diseases.

Families with children suffering from medical disorders can have a designer baby genetically modified to be a perfect match donor. This way, the designer baby can help keep his or her sibling healthy.

Disadvantages of Designer Babies

Imagine the difficulties of being a designer baby genetically modified to be a perfect-match donor. How does it feel to be an organ vessel for one’s sibling? The purpose of life these kids’ lives depend on someone else. What will happen to them if the sibling dies? Children should not be loved for who they are, not what they can offer.  

Geneticists can select the gender among children. This choice promotes sexism in society. In some countries, such as China, parents hope to receive sons instead of daughters. With the practice of selecting gender, there would be a great imbalance among the genders.

Parents may create designer babies to fulfill their fantasies of a perfect child. The adults may have great expectation for their children. This would lead to strains in the relationship between the parents and the child. The child may not want the genetically modified traits he/she are given. The children will become objects of the parents’ whim. Designer babies would fuel perfectionist attitudes of parents towards their children and demote individuality.

Designer babies may be the stepping stone to designing the super human race. Cosmetic surgery allows one to reduce a sever disfigurement due to an accident. Unfortunately, this medical technique is used for other superficial reasons. What is stopping us from abusing genetic engineering to create super humans? Evidence from history indicates that we may cross this path in the future. Egyptian rulers married their siblings in order to keep the blood line “royal”. The ancient warriors, Spartans, used selective breeding to raise the strongest men to fight.

I do not think society is prepared for designer babies. We must deal with situations such as poverty, child labour and war in foreign lands. Designer babies would offer more problems than solutions at the moment. Perhaps society would be prepared for such options in the future.

Word Count: 499

Figures:

Figure 1: A picture of a baby. Traits such as hair colour and eye colour can be altered using genetic engineering.

Figure 2: Multiple babies. Note that there is a variety of babies.

Figure 3: The InVitro Fertilization where the egg cells are fertilized by sperm outside the womb of the female.

Figure 4: An artistic represenation of how genetically modified babies are created. The process of InVitro Fertilization involves fertilizing the egg cells with sperm outside of the female's body. It is conducted using professional sterile lab equipment.

Figure 5: An artistic representation of the artist's views on Genetic Engineering. She speaks against choosing the baby's anesthetics by modifying the genetics and DNA.

Works Consulted:

"What Is a Designer Baby?" Bionet - New Discoveries in Life Sciences - Explore the Science and Debate the Issues. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bionetonline.org/english/content/db_cont1.htm>.

Johnson, By Priya. "Pros and Cons of Designer Babies." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-designer-babies.html>.

My Sister's Keeper. Dir. Nick Cassavetes. Perf. Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin and Alex Baldwin. Curmudgeon Films, 2009. DVD.

New England Consortium of Metabolic Programs. "Words to Know – A POI Glossary « New England Consortium of Metabolic Programs." New England Consortium of Metabolic Programs. 1 June 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2010. <http://newenglandconsortium.org/for-families/galactosemia/galactosemia-and-primary-ovarian-insufficiency-poi/poi-glossary/>.

Picoult, Jodi. My Sister's Keeper. New York: Washington Square, 2005. Print.

Sihera, Elaine. "Ancient Sparta According to the Greeks." Helium - Where Knowledge Rules. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://www.helium.com/items/994499-ancient-sparta-according-to-the-greeks>.

Sources for Figures: 

http://www.fotosearch.com/BNS371/bn279064/

http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=designer+babies#/d111fzk

http://www.babylifestyles.com/2009/02/designer-babies-choose-hair-and-eye-color-check-for-illness/

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2010/09/eek_babies_are.php

http://blogs.fredericksburg.com/doinggood/2010/04/01/1265645011/

Blogs Commented on:
http://alexsbioblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/designer-babies.html#comments
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The Arctic is on Thin Ice

Arctic Biodiversity

The biodiversity in the Arctic is limited; therefore the food webs tend to be very direct and fragile (Fig. 1). If one species was removed, this would affect the population of other organisms and disrupt the Arctic Ecological Balance.  

Factors affecting Arctic Biodiversity

1.    Global Warming



Global warming is a concern of scientists. The thickness of the ice indicates the health of the habitat; the thinner the ice, the more delicate it is. Long ago, the Arctic could survive at least one summer without melting. Now, seasonal ice (ice that melts and refreezes annually) surrounds the area. In 1980, 50% of the landscape was seasonal ice, but in 2009, the figures raised to 70%.

Global Warming has caused a loss of 26% of Arctic plants in 1400 square km. The Greenland caribou population is declining since they can no longer synchronize with the changes (Fig. 2). The difference in climate has altered the growing seasons of various plants. The period when female caribou require more food no longer match with the sprouting of plants needed for their livelihood. Polar bears use ice bergs as a resting place during their swims. The decline in ice has caused many polar bears to drown (Fig. 3).

The United Nations is establishing agreements to reduce the world’s pollutions such as the Climate Conference in Copenhagen. Organizations and governments are working towards reducing global temperatures by reducing pollution, increase recycling, etc.

2.    Natural Resources

Experts have discovered six major oil and gas reserves and two oil and gas field with an estimated value of 51 billion tonnes and 87 trillion cubic metre of natural gas in the Arctic. It also has the world’s third largest hydrocarbon reserves and large deposits of diamonds, gold, etc.

Nations, including Canada, are making claims on the land.  The government must find a sustainable method of extracting the natural resources to protect the environment.

Shell, a petroleum company, has signed a long-term partnership agreement with the International Union of Conservation of Nature in 2007. Shell agrees to work with experts to rescue the environment and support conservation.

3.      Tourism

The number of cruises visiting the Arctic has risen from 50 (in 2004) to 250 (in 2007). Every cruise ship carries 200-800 passenger, each carrying 91 cubic metres of solid waste, 72 kilo of hazardous waste, and oil bilge water. Ships release or take in ballast water to stabilize the ships. If the water is collected  in one place, and discharged somewhere else, there is a chance a foreign invasive creature such as zebra mussels will inhabit and destroy ecosystems (Fig. 4).

Cruising companies, such as Royal Caribbean International, have placed an environmental officer on each boat, has established an environmental management program (Save The Waves) and an ocean fund to protect marine species and their habitat (Fig. 5). Click here to view the Waste Stream Operational Controls Chart.

Guidelines for tourism in the Arctic provides principles to enjoy Arctic Tourism and to protect the  habitat, and biodiversity.

Figures



Figure 1: An example of Arctic Food Web

Figure 2: The Greenland Caribou



Figure 3: Polar Bear struggling to
balance on what remians of an ice berg.

Figure 4: A cluster of zebra mussels.

Figure 5:  Sign for Save the Waves Program from Royal Caribbean Cruises International

References

"Arctic Economics: Cruise Ship Pollution in the Arctic." Ben Muse. 03 Aug. 2008. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://benmuse.typepad.com/arctic_economics/2008/08/cruise-ship-pollution-in-the-arctic.html#more>.

B, Charlie. "YouTube - 2010 Arctic Ice Update." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 25 Sept. 2010. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z79kWWnbOM>.

Bell, Debra. "Caribou and Reindeer: 10 Animals Threatened by Global Warming - US News & World Report." Breaking National and World News - US News. Web. 28 Sept. 2010. <http://politics.usnews.com/news/energy/slideshows/10-animals-threatened-by-global-warming>.

"BERNAMA - Oil, Gas Reserves In Arctic Comparable To Gulf, Western Siberia - Scientist." Malaysian National News Agency :: BERNAMA. 25 Sept. 2010. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=530250>.

Beruang. "Global Warming: The Arctic Ecosystem Is Changing." Beruang Rebus Aka The Steamed Bear XD. 08 Mar. 2010. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://beruangrebus.com/nature/global-warming-the-arctic-ecosystem-is-changing>.

International Union of Conservation of Nature. "IUCN - Marine Programme." IUCN - Home. 21 Sept. 2010. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://iucn.org/about/work/programmes/marine/?6072/Protecting-vulnerable-ecosystems-in-the-melting-Arctic>.

Royal Caribbean International. "Royal Caribbean and the Environment - Royal Caribbean International." Royal Caribbean International: Royal Caribbean Cruise Deals & Cruise Vacations - Royal Caribbean International. 2009. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://www.royalcaribbean.com/ourCompany/environment/rcAndEnvironment.do>.

Schaeffer, Jason. "“green” | Jason Schaeffer." Jason Schaeffer | A Few Thoughts, Likes, Dislikes, Tastes and Opinions…. 20 May 2008. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://jasonschaeffer.wordpress.com/category/green/>.

"Zebra Mussel Cluster – Small | The Intersection | Discover Magazine." Discover Blogs | Discover Magazine. 12 Feb. 2010. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2010/02/12/marine-invaders/zebra-mussel-cluster-small/.

Comments on other Blogs

http://jayy-tan.blogspot.com/2010/09/keep-energizer-bunny-out-of-our-soil.html#comments

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