We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.
Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.Help Now >
TERRIFYING: Real life Dr. Moreau, hard at work developing human-animal hybrids
FREE Catholic Classes
A real life Dr. Moreau is hard at work, trying to create animals that grow organs for humans that can be transplanted without any danger of rejection. His work mixes human and animal genes, giving rise to a host of ethical concerns.
Highlights
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
5/19/2016 (7 years ago)
Published in Health
Keywords: chimera, vivisection, Dr. Moreau, science, gene editing, hybrids
LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - H.G. Wells warned us about the dangers of mixing species to create something new. In The Island of Doctor Moreau, a mad doctor practices vivisection, grafting parts of animals and people together to create hybrid species. Like all such stories, the creations of this doctor are unpredictable and dangerous and disaster ensues.
Wells' warning is clear. Humans should not attempt to play God by crossing humans with animals. Today, such creations are possible in the lab, and they are called "chimeras." And, they are being created on a routine basis for scientific study.
One scientist, Pablo Ross, is working at the University of California, Davis and he uses gene editing, an electron microscope, and even a laser to delete the genes pigs need to create a pancreas. Then he inserts a human stem cell that can become a human pancreas. The embryo is implanted in a sow for 28 days, then removed for dissection. Ross studies the pancreases to determine if he can develop a fully functional human organ that can be harvested and transplanted when needed.
There's concerns. Stem cells can also travel through an animal's body and settle elsewhere. If a human stem cell travels to the pig's brain, it could settle there and the pig could develop a human brain. What happens next is anyone's guess. The embryo might not survive, or it could and we could see a pig with the intellect of a human.
The horror stories write themselves. In the series Oryx and Crake by Margeret Atwood, pigs crossed with human take to the wild and become vicious, intelligent killers. Could such a thing happen with these chimeras we're mass producing in the laboratory?
So far, none are allowed to survive past a few weeks, but eventually the researchers will want to go farther. It's important that we progress informed by our knowledge of the natural law and ethics.
---
'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'
Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
St. Faustina Kowalska
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Saint of the Day for Wednesday, Oct 4th, 2023
-
Popular Saints
-
St. Francis of Assisi
-
Bible
-
Female / Women Saints
-
7 Morning Prayers you need to get your day started with God
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sacrifices of Faith: The Pro-Life Legacies of St. Gianna and Jessica Hanna
-
How to love God by caring for our bodies
-
Pope Francis calls for negotiations to End Russia-Ukraine War
-
Pope Francis Contemplates Return to U.S. for United Nations Assembly Address
-
Pope Francis Calls on Faithful to Embrace Faith, Hope, and Charity in New Teaching Series
Daily Catholic
- Daily Readings for Saturday, April 27, 2024
- St. Zita: Saint of the Day for Saturday, April 27, 2024
- Prayer for the Dead # 2: Prayer of the Day for Saturday, April 27, 2024
- Daily Readings for Friday, April 26, 2024
- St. Cletus: Saint of the Day for Friday, April 26, 2024
- Prayer before the Closing of the Day: Prayer of the Day for Friday, April 26, 2024
Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.