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Designer Babies

Have you ever wished that you were taller? Or that your eyes were a different colour? These things are decided by our DNA before we’re even born so we can’t change them. Or can we?

DNA is a code in every living cell of our bodies. Over 99% of the DNA of all humans is the same, but the tiny differences make us who we are. Before a baby is born, when it is still an embryo*, its DNA already contains information about hair colour, future health problems and much more.

Scientists can look at the DNA of an embryo and see whether it is likely to have certain diseases when it grows up. At the moment, this is all they do. However, it’s possible that in the future scientists could change the DNA to ‘delete’ those diseases so that the person will never get sick. That sounds amazing, doesn’t it? But if we start changing babies’ DNA to stop certain diseases, what’s to stop us changing other things, too? Some scientists think they can alter an unborn baby’s DNA to make sure it grows up to be good at sport, or very clever, or even change the way it will look.

This is where the term ‘designer babies’ comes from; it’s the idea that we can choose what our babies will look like and what kind of abilities they will have. A lot of people think that this is wrong, and others are worried about the consequences of changing human DNA. After all, no one has ever done it before so it might create more problems than it solves.

All of this is far off in the future. The most likely development in the next few decades is a ‘baby catalogue’. Couples will have a lot of different embryos to choose from - some girls, some boys, some with brown eyes, some with blue, some with a low risk of developing diabetes, some with a low risk of heart disease. Couples will be able to choose from a large number of embryos which they have created, rather than ‘designing’ their baby, but who knows what the future will bring? One day, we could live in a world where everything - from our hair colour to our shoe size - is known before we are even born. The question we have to ask ourselves is - is that a world we want?

*an unborn baby less than three months old

• What is the writer doing in the text?

Designer Babies

Have you ever wished that you were taller? Or that your eyes were a different colour? These things are decided by our DNA before we’re even born so we can’t change them. Or can we?

DNA is a code in every living cell of our bodies. Over 99% of the DNA of all humans is the same, but the tiny differences make us who we are. Before a baby is born, when it is still an embryo*, its DNA already contains information about hair colour, future health problems and much more.

Scientists can look at the DNA of an embryo and see whether it is likely to have certain diseases when it grows up. At the moment, this is all they do. However, it’s possible that in the future scientists could change the DNA to ‘delete’ those diseases so that the person will never get sick. That sounds amazing, doesn’t it? But if we start changing babies’ DNA to stop certain diseases, what’s to stop us changing other things, too? Some scientists think they can alter an unborn baby’s DNA to make sure it grows up to be good at sport, or very clever, or even change the way it will look.

This is where the term ‘designer babies’ comes from; it’s the idea that we can choose what our babies will look like and what kind of abilities they will have. A lot of people think that this is wrong, and others are worried about the consequences of changing human DNA. After all, no one has ever done it before so it might create more problems than it solves.

All of this is far off in the future. The most likely development in the next few decades is a ‘baby catalogue’. Couples will have a lot of different embryos to choose from - some girls, some boys, some with brown eyes, some with blue, some with a low risk of developing diabetes, some with a low risk of heart disease. Couples will be able to choose from a large number of embryos which they have created, rather than ‘designing’ their baby, but who knows what the future will bring? One day, we could live in a world where everything - from our hair colour to our shoe size - is known before we are even born. The question we have to ask ourselves is - is that a world we want?

*an unborn baby less than three months old

• What can scientists currently do?

Designer Babies

Have you ever wished that you were taller? Or that your eyes were a different colour? These things are decided by our DNA before we’re even born so we can’t change them. Or can we?

DNA is a code in every living cell of our bodies. Over 99% of the DNA of all humans is the same, but the tiny differences make us who we are. Before a baby is born, when it is still an embryo*, its DNA already contains information about hair colour, future health problems and much more.

Scientists can look at the DNA of an embryo and see whether it is likely to have certain diseases when it grows up. At the moment, this is all they do. However, it’s possible that in the future scientists could change the DNA to ‘delete’ those diseases so that the person will never get sick. That sounds amazing, doesn’t it? But if we start changing babies’ DNA to stop certain diseases, what’s to stop us changing other things, too? Some scientists think they can alter an unborn baby’s DNA to make sure it grows up to be good at sport, or very clever, or even change the way it will look.

This is where the term ‘designer babies’ comes from; it’s the idea that we can choose what our babies will look like and what kind of abilities they will have. A lot of people think that this is wrong, and others are worried about the consequences of changing human DNA. After all, no one has ever done it before so it might create more problems than it solves.

All of this is far off in the future. The most likely development in the next few decades is a ‘baby catalogue’. Couples will have a lot of different embryos to choose from - some girls, some boys, some with brown eyes, some with blue, some with a low risk of developing diabetes, some with a low risk of heart disease. Couples will be able to choose from a large number of embryos which they have created, rather than ‘designing’ their baby, but who knows what the future will bring? One day, we could live in a world where everything - from our hair colour to our shoe size - is known before we are even born. The question we have to ask ourselves is - is that a world we want?

*an unborn baby less than three months old

• Why are people worried about changing human DNA?

Designer Babies

Have you ever wished that you were taller? Or that your eyes were a different colour? These things are decided by our DNA before we’re even born so we can’t change them. Or can we?

DNA is a code in every living cell of our bodies. Over 99% of the DNA of all humans is the same, but the tiny differences make us who we are. Before a baby is born, when it is still an embryo*, its DNA already contains information about hair colour, future health problems and much more.

Scientists can look at the DNA of an embryo and see whether it is likely to have certain diseases when it grows up. At the moment, this is all they do. However, it’s possible that in the future scientists could change the DNA to ‘delete’ those diseases so that the person will never get sick. That sounds amazing, doesn’t it? But if we start changing babies’ DNA to stop certain diseases, what’s to stop us changing other things, too? Some scientists think they can alter an unborn baby’s DNA to make sure it grows up to be good at sport, or very clever, or even change the way it will look.

This is where the term ‘designer babies’ comes from; it’s the idea that we can choose what our babies will look like and what kind of abilities they will have. A lot of people think that this is wrong, and others are worried about the consequences of changing human DNA. After all, no one has ever done it before so it might create more problems than it solves.

All of this is far off in the future. The most likely development in the next few decades is a ‘baby catalogue’. Couples will have a lot of different embryos to choose from - some girls, some boys, some with brown eyes, some with blue, some with a low risk of developing diabetes, some with a low risk of heart disease. Couples will be able to choose from a large number of embryos which they have created, rather than ‘designing’ their baby, but who knows what the future will bring? One day, we could live in a world where everything - from our hair colour to our shoe size - is known before we are even born. The question we have to ask ourselves is - is that a world we want?

*an unborn baby less than three months old

• What is the purpose of a ‘baby catalogue’?

Designer Babies

Have you ever wished that you were taller? Or that your eyes were a different colour? These things are decided by our DNA before we’re even born so we can’t change them. Or can we?

DNA is a code in every living cell of our bodies. Over 99% of the DNA of all humans is the same, but the tiny differences make us who we are. Before a baby is born, when it is still an embryo*, its DNA already contains information about hair colour, future health problems and much more.

Scientists can look at the DNA of an embryo and see whether it is likely to have certain diseases when it grows up. At the moment, this is all they do. However, it’s possible that in the future scientists could change the DNA to ‘delete’ those diseases so that the person will never get sick. That sounds amazing, doesn’t it? But if we start changing babies’ DNA to stop certain diseases, what’s to stop us changing other things, too? Some scientists think they can alter an unborn baby’s DNA to make sure it grows up to be good at sport, or very clever, or even change the way it will look.

This is where the term ‘designer babies’ comes from; it’s the idea that we can choose what our babies will look like and what kind of abilities they will have. A lot of people think that this is wrong, and others are worried about the consequences of changing human DNA. After all, no one has ever done it before so it might create more problems than it solves.

All of this is far off in the future. The most likely development in the next few decades is a ‘baby catalogue’. Couples will have a lot of different embryos to choose from - some girls, some boys, some with brown eyes, some with blue, some with a low risk of developing diabetes, some with a low risk of heart disease. Couples will be able to choose from a large number of embryos which they have created, rather than ‘designing’ their baby, but who knows what the future will bring? One day, we could live in a world where everything - from our hair colour to our shoe size - is known before we are even born. The question we have to ask ourselves is - is that a world we want?

*an unborn baby less than three months old

• How does the writer feel about altering human DNA?

Designer Babies

Have you ever wished that you were taller? Or that your eyes were a different colour? These things are decided by our DNA before we’re even born so we can’t change them. Or can we?

DNA is a code in every living cell of our bodies. Over 99% of the DNA of all humans is the same, but the tiny differences make us who we are. Before a baby is born, when it is still an embryo*, its DNA already contains information about hair colour, future health problems and much more.

Scientists can look at the DNA of an embryo and see whether it is likely to have certain diseases when it grows up. At the moment, this is all they do. However, it’s possible that in the future scientists could change the DNA to ‘delete’ those diseases so that the person will never get sick. That sounds amazing, doesn’t it? But if we start changing babies’ DNA to stop certain diseases, what’s to stop us changing other things, too? Some scientists think they can alter an unborn baby’s DNA to make sure it grows up to be good at sport, or very clever, or even change the way it will look.

This is where the term ‘designer babies’ comes from; it’s the idea that we can choose what our babies will look like and what kind of abilities they will have. A lot of people think that this is wrong, and others are worried about the consequences of changing human DNA. After all, no one has ever done it before so it might create more problems than it solves.

All of this is far off in the future. The most likely development in the next few decades is a ‘baby catalogue’. Couples will have a lot of different embryos to choose from - some girls, some boys, some with brown eyes, some with blue, some with a low risk of developing diabetes, some with a low risk of heart disease. Couples will be able to choose from a large number of embryos which they have created, rather than ‘designing’ their baby, but who knows what the future will bring? One day, we could live in a world where everything - from our hair colour to our shoe size - is known before we are even born. The question we have to ask ourselves is - is that a world we want?

*an unborn baby less than three months old

• What does the writer think the main benefit of altering human DNA is?

Designer Babies

Have you ever wished that you were taller? Or that your eyes were a different colour? These things are decided by our DNA before we’re even born so we can’t change them. Or can we?

DNA is a code in every living cell of our bodies. Over 99% of the DNA of all humans is the same, but the tiny differences make us who we are. Before a baby is born, when it is still an embryo*, its DNA already contains information about hair colour, future health problems and much more.

Scientists can look at the DNA of an embryo and see whether it is likely to have certain diseases when it grows up. At the moment, this is all they do. However, it’s possible that in the future scientists could change the DNA to ‘delete’ those diseases so that the person will never get sick. That sounds amazing, doesn’t it? But if we start changing babies’ DNA to stop certain diseases, what’s to stop us changing other things, too? Some scientists think they can alter an unborn baby’s DNA to make sure it grows up to be good at sport, or very clever, or even change the way it will look.

This is where the term ‘designer babies’ comes from; it’s the idea that we can choose what our babies will look like and what kind of abilities they will have. A lot of people think that this is wrong, and others are worried about the consequences of changing human DNA. After all, no one has ever done it before so it might create more problems than it solves.

All of this is far off in the future. The most likely development in the next few decades is a ‘baby catalogue’. Couples will have a lot of different embryos to choose from - some girls, some boys, some with brown eyes, some with blue, some with a low risk of developing diabetes, some with a low risk of heart disease. Couples will be able to choose from a large number of embryos which they have created, rather than ‘designing’ their baby, but who knows what the future will bring? One day, we could live in a world where everything - from our hair colour to our shoe size - is known before we are even born. The question we have to ask ourselves is - is that a world we want?

*an unborn baby less than three months old

• What is the next step in the science of designer babies?