Biology Day!
A friend sent me a link to this cool site.
http://www.pinktentacle.com/2007/09/hiroshima-scientists-create-transparent-frogs/
I’ll show you a little of it, but, you should really check it out for yourself.
A research team led by professor Masayuki Sumida at Hiroshima University’s Institute for Amphibian Biology has created a type of transparent frog whose internal organs are visible through its skin. The researchers say the see-through frogs can help in the study of diseases and in the development of medical treatments by allowing laboratory scientists to check the status of internal organs and blood vessels while the frogs are alive and without having to dissect them.
I find this really interesting. I hated dissecting things when I was in school. I would always find the lab partner who would do all of the dirty work whenever it was possible! So, this seems like a really interesting concept for me. They have also produced frogs that glow, which can help them identify and study certain problem genes.
Although I think it’s pretty interesting, I do have some mixed emotions on the subject. I wonder how much we should be playing around with genetics- animals or humans. And, I am amazed at how we have advanced in science already. But, I fear there is so much going on that we just don’t even know. If we have cloned animals, how many humans have been cloned? And, if we mess with the genetics of living things too much, are we going to end up looking for the “perfect” human, the perfect animal? Where does that leave us? All the same and clones anyway- whether by cloning or by acting as clones- all the same.
Just my thoughts.
Explore posts in the same categories: clones, dissecting, transparent frogs
October 7, 2007 at 8:18 am
I hear ya… it seems that there’s always the potential for “evil” with every “good”- especially when it comes to science and technology. I wanted to share this link with you. It was on Parenthacks just the other day and deals precisely with this issue of creating “perfection” in such a wonderful, beautiful way (the writing is wonderful and beautiful, not the perfection)… in a way that my tired-and-just-getting-over-being-sick mind could never do on a Sunday morning. Sadly, much of the “technology” for creating a genetic-flaw free world is already here and being used at (what seems to me) alarming rates… 90-93% of parents that have testing and discover that their child is not perfect do not continue the pregnancy. That’s downright scary! Anyway, follow the link, read the blog entry… it’s good. It’s also rather timely, as October is Down Syndrome Awareness month.
http://www.sweet-juniper.com/2007/10/first-test.html