RHETOR 115 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Joshua Lederberg, Eugenics, Heredity
Document Summary
Molecular biology has unravelled the mechanism of heredity and experimental chemistry shows the features of terrestrial life. Basic strategy of life is of molecular structure - dna. Evolution is duplication and exploitation of structural error. Big grasp between biological principles and details! Don"t know the actual nucleotide sequence of any gene. Eugenics view: we shouldn"t ignore the creative possibilities of genetic improvement! We should generate insight to secure our survival! L: technology of human genetics is clumsy, cannot do this now. Instead of react (eugenics), should try to anticipate the worst anomalies of biological powers (euphenics. Euphenics as man"s control of his own development. When euphenics has worked itself out we should have a catalogue of biochemically well-defined parameters for responses now describabale only in vague functional terms. Then we shall more confidently design genotypically programmed reactions, in place of evolutionary pressures, and search for further innovations (269)
