Outlines

In this part of the study guide, we will outline each of the texts in the source material. This will provide you with a good overview of the different issues found in the material, and help you with an account of the creation of artificial life at the J. Craig Venter Institute presented in Text I.

I: Artificial Life Created

Genre: Video

Scientist Craig Venter from J. Craig Venter Institute in the US has succeeded in creating artificial life. He has put together strands of DNA to create a completely new bacteria. The achievement has the potential to help scientists to create new vaccines and to reduce pollution. However, the man-made bacteria also raises ethical questions.

After 15 years of work, Venter has developed a synthetic bacteria which could one day lead to creating bugs that could be used in the bio-chemical industry.

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II: Should We Stop Scientists Developing Synthetic Life?

Author: Julian Savulescu
Genre: Article

The creation of the synthetic bacteria by J. Craig Venter is considered a bio-revolution. Although scientists have been experimenting with DNA to cross species or add new traits to various species, this is the first time that life has been created in a laboratory.

Venter replicated the DNA of a bacteria and then used it to replace the DNA of another bacteria, making a new organism. However, in the future scientists will probably be able to create a fully synthetic life form.

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