Winding your way through DNA
Developed by teachers for teachers and students
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Promise & Perils of Biotechnology: Genetic Testing
Teacher's Guide
Produced by the
University of California
San Francisco
Distributed by
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Promise & Perils of Biotechnology: Genetic Testing
In Promise & Perils of Biotechnology: Genetic Testing students
learn about inherited disorders, their prevalence in society, and the benefits
and drawbacks of genetic testing. As advances in biotechnology allow doctors
to use genetic testing to identify more genetic conditions, the information
not only helps expectant couples learn the health of their developing fetuses,
but also confirms the presence of genetic conditions in children and adults.
These findings pose ethical, legal and social dilemmas about how that information
should be used.
This moving documentary profiles a young woman, with a family history
of Huntington disease -- a disease with no known cure -- who decides to
be tested. Also profiled is a mother and her young daughter who have changed
their lifestyles to counteract their genetic odds in dealing with dangerously
high cholesterol levels, known as familial hypercholesterolemia. The video
captures people as they struggle with the realities of their conditions
and focuses on diseases that do not segregate to one ethnic or cultural
group, while not excluding others that do.
Comments on Promise & Perils of Biotechnology: Genetic Testing:
From students:
- "...the most powerful [part] was telling about how genetic research
will impact everyone in one way or another."
- "We've watched a thousand videos, but this one was real -- I like
it."
- "...explained things in a simple way."
- "...the film was great...understandable. I was able to pinpoint
some of the things I've worked with in my class."
- "...the film was put into a story rather than a plain lecture...made
it more interesting."
- "The people connected in finding out the genes of Laura and her
daughter and Jennifer were caring and that's a reflection on the film."
From teachers (video):
- "Ethics are left out of most textbooks; this helps fill the gap."
- "It had the kids hooked...haven't been able to 'hook' them until
now."
- "...a good addition to biology and biotechnology courses."
- "...brought out the personal side of science through ethical issues
that students need to think about."
- "It was a very motivating film; [students] want to know more about
genetics now."
From teachers (teacher's guide):
- "I love it. It's teacher-friendly and the materials it suggests
are down-to-earth and realistic for today's budgets."
- "They should have these for all videos...it's a great aid for
teaching the subject matter."
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