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Make a Life to Save a Life

By Peggy Brickman

Make a Life to Save a Life


 

Abstract

In this “clicker case,” students learn about meiosis through the real-life story of a couple who used pre-implantation genetic screening to select an embryo that was a genetic match for an older sibling with leukemia, and thus able to provide a source of bone marrow cells. The case caused a stir in the medical ethics community.  Before this, parents had only used pre-implantation genetic screening to select for a baby that would be free from a genetic disorder. Instead, this child was conceived as a treatment for his older sister.  The case was developed for use in an introductory biology course.  It consists of a PowerPoint presentation (~1.5MB) shown in class that is punctuated by multiple-choice questions the students respond to using clickers. It could be adapted for use without these technologies.

   

Date Posted

11/23/2009

Overview

Objectives

  • Understand how chromosomes are distributed during meiosis to create variation in the gametes produced.
  • Understand how the genetic information in a gamete differs from the information found in other somatic cells of the parent and how gametes differ from each other.
  • Apply knowledge of how chromosomes are segregated during meiosis to predict the likelihood that an offspring from two parents would inherit a specific combination of chromosomes.

Keywords

Meiosis; cell division; independent assortment; pre-implantation genetic screening; embryo design; reproduction; organ donation; bioethics; medical ethics

  

Subject Headings

Biology (General)
Cell Biology
Genetics / Heredity
Medicine (General)

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

High school, Undergraduate lower division

  

FORMAT

PDF, PowerPoint

   

TOPICAL AREAS

Ethics, Policy issues, Social issues

   

LANGUAGE

English

   

TYPE/METHODS

Clicker, Interrupted

 

 

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