The Ethics of Biotechnology

Biotechnology has the power to change life at the most fundamental levels. This entry in the four-part Biotechnology in the 21st Century series examines the ethical issues raised by cloning, stem cell research, and animal testing. Combining interviews of scientists and researchers together with 3D animation, the production defines these processes and explores their possible benefits. Researchers suggest that the questions involving the use of embryonic stem cells will be resolved when stem cells are developed from other sources. Animal testing is described as an “unfortunate reality”—although performed in compliance with government regulations—and laboratories are working to developing new methods in order to reduce the number of tests requiring animal subjects. Not surprisingly, cloning raises some of the thorniest questions in the entire field of biotechnology. While the scientists interviewed occasionally lapse into highly technical language, their comments about ethics are simply stated, with major topics and concepts presented in an accessible manner. The other titles in the series are: Biotechnology on the Farm and in the Factory, Biotechnology and Your Health and Bioinformatics, Genomics, and Proteonics. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)