Abstract
This chapter questions to what extent knowledge about the human genome may be used in order to plan or determine the future of an individual. While some human characteristics, such as the colour of the eyes or the hair, are indeed determined by genes, environmental factors also play a large role in the development of most of them, for example height. It remains largely unknown what precisely determines who we are or who we become. Where hereditary diseases are concerned, it is very rare that they are caused by a single gene and are thus relatively easy to detect. Usually, a multitude of genes interact in largely unpredictable ways with each other, as well as with the environment, to determine the outcome. Therefore, no definitive answers can be expected in the future from research conducted into multiple-gene disorders and hereditary characteristics, and assumptions about genetic determinism are, in most cases, misguided.
Translated by Aleid Wassens.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Bibliography
Deary IJ, Johnson W, Houlihan LM (2009) Genetic foundations of human intelligence. Hum Genet 126(1):215–232 Provides a good overview of the heritability of human intelligence
Galton F (1865) Hereditary talent and character. Macmillan’s Magazine 12:157–166, 318–327 Sir Francis Galton was the first to systematically describe ideas about eugenics in this classic paper
Gonzales JL (2011) Ethics for the pediatrician: genetic testing and newborn screening. Pediatr Rev 32(11):490–493 A nice overview of ethical issues in newborn screening
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Nelis, A., Posthuma, D. (2013). Genetic Enhancement of Human Beings: Reality or Fiction?. In: Koops, B., Lüthy, C., Nelis, A., Sieburgh, C., Jansen, J., Schmid, M. (eds) Engineering the Human. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35096-2_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35096-2_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-35095-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-35096-2
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)