Preface ........................................................ xi
Acknowledgements ............................................. xiii
1 Human origins, natural selection and the evolution of
ethics ....................................................... 1
Modern science, ethics and evolving bioscience ethics ........ 2
The hunter-gatherer Homo sapiens ............................. 5
Ethics - our evolutionary heritage .......................... 11
Neuroethics - unravelling the neural basis of moral
judgement ................................................... 16
Evolving bioscience-bioethics ............................... 18
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion .............. 22
2 Sex determination, brain sex and sexual behaviour ........... 24
Sex determination ........................................... 25
Errors of sexual differentiation ............................ 30
Brain sex determination ..................................... 33
The socialization of human sexuality ........................ 35
Sexual orientation .......................................... 36
Transgender and gender recognition .......................... 38
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion .............. 43
3 Inappropriate lifestyle and congenital disability in
children: basic principles of growth, toxicology,
teratogenesis and mutagenesis ............................... 44
Patterns of human growth .................................... 45
The embryonic/fetal periods and embryo staging .............. 47
The placenta as the maternal-fetal interface ................ 50
Abnormal prenatal growth patterns, fetal programming and
long-term health consequences ............................... 51
Toxicology: basic principles ................................ 55
Teratogenesis, mutagenesis and carcinogenesis ............... 58
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion .............. 60
4 Substance abuse and parenthood: biological mechanisms -
bioethical responsibilities ................................. 61
Introductory background ..................................... 61
Behavioural variables - biological consequences ............. 64
The preconceptional period: male-mediated effects ........... 65
Specifics ................................................... 65
The preconceptional period: female-mediated effects ......... 67
Drug-induced infertility .................................... 68
The prenatal and neonatal periods ........................... 69
Nicotine .................................................... 70
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) ......................... 71
Passive smoking ............................................. 72
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) ............. 72
Ethanol (alcohol) ........................................... 73
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) ................................ 74
Cocaine ..................................................... 76
Marijuana ................................................... 77
Narcotics ................................................... 78
Caffeine .................................................... 79
Behavioural variables - bioethical challenges ............... 79
Socioeconomic factors ....................................... 80
An ecologically based model of preventative care -
government and citizens in equal partnership ................ 84
The emotional brain and the biology of addiction ............ 85
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion .............. 88
5 Fertility awareness: the ovulatory method of birth
control, ageing gametes and congenital malformation in
children .................................................... 90
The laws of inheritance ..................................... 91
Human fecundity ............................................. 93
Female libido: procreational versus recreational sex ........ 94
Principles of reproductive ageing ........................... 95
Ageing gametes and ovulatory method of birth control ........ 98
The gametopathy hypothesis and congenital anomalies ........ 101
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion ............. 105
6 Understanding child abuse and its biological consequences .. 106
Adaptation of the newborn to extrauterine life ............. 107
Bonding and social relations ............................... 109
Unwanted birth and crime ................................... 111
Post-traumatic stress disorder or the physical signature
of unresolved trauma ....................................... 114
The biology of behaviour and cognition ..................... 117
Stress and psychosocial short stature ...................... 119
Future prospects ........................................... 120
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion ............. 122
7 The state of wellbeing: basic principles, coping
strategies and individual mastery .......................... 124
The link between population density and reproduction ....... 126
Stress - the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS),
allostasis and disease ..................................... 127
Adaptive strategies ........................................ 131
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion ............. 134
8 The state of wellbeing: on the end-of-life care and
euthanasia ................................................. 135
Life's balance sheet ....................................... 136
End-of-life care, advanced directives and 'do not
resuscitate' orders ........................................ 137
Euthanasia, an evolving concept ............................ 140
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion ............. 143
9 Current reproductive technologies: achievements and
desired goals .............................................. 145
Lifestyle, fertility and the Assisted Reproductive
Technologies (ARTs) ........................................ 145
Fertility control - the evolutionary perspective ........... 146
Infertility - the price of excess fecundity ................ 148
Assisted reproduction: social considerations ............... 150
Assisted reproduction: technological considerations ........ 152
Artificial insemination .................................... 156
In vitro fertilization and related technologies ............ 158
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection and cytoplasmic transfer
technologies ............................................... 161
Maturing human eggs in the laboratory ...................... 162
Epigenetics, imprinting and assisted reproduction .......... 163
Surrogacy .................................................. 164
Assisted reproduction, genetic diversity and the biology
of conservation ............................................ 165
Inbreeding depression ...................................... 166
The role of ART in conservation ............................ 166
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion ............. 170
10 The recombinant DNA technologies ........................... 171
Genetic engineering and related technologies - biological
perspective ................................................ 171
Gene therapy ............................................... 173
Prenatal genetic screening and diagnosis ................... 179
Preimplantation genetic screening and diagnosis ............ 181
Neonatal genetic screening and diagnosis ................... 182
Pre symptomatic screening for individuals and populations .. 182
The use of genetic technology for social purposes .......... 183
The Human Genome and the Human Genome Diversity Projects ... 184
Access to the ownership of genomes ......................... 188
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion .............. 190
11 Stem cells, nuclear transfer and cloning technology ........ 192
What is a clone? ........................................... 193
Reproductive cloning: basic principles ..................... 196
Embryonic stem cell (aka therapeutic or biomedical)
cloning .................................................... 197
Adult stem cell alternatives ............................... 200
Reproductive cloning: ethical considerations ............... 200
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion ............. 203
12 Human-dominated ecosystems: re-evaluating environmental
priorities ................................................. 204
Population growth and economic activity - are we
overstraining our limits? .................................. 204
Extinction and conservation of biodiversity ................ 207
Genetic diversity and environmental adaptability ........... 211
Human-driven climate change ................................ 212
Stress and adaptation ...................................... 216
Living within Nature's constraints ......................... 217
Understanding living cycles and anticipating
environmental policies rather than relying on remedial
measures ................................................... 219
Fundamental symbiosis: the biogeochemical or nutrient
cycle ...................................................... 220
Losing the food race ....................................... 223
Deep design: the synthesis of Nature and culture ........... 225
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion ............. 228
13 Human-dominated ecosystems: reclaiming the future for
following generations ...................................... 229
Self-destructive behaviour and Overexploitation of the
environment ................................................ 229
The tragedy of the commons ................................. 229
Chemical exposure, sex determination and sexual behaviour .. 233
The endocrine system: an overview .......................... 233
Epigenetic transgenerational actions of synthetic
endocrine disrupters ....................................... 234
Wildlife and laboratory findings ........................... 237
Human findings and the precautionary principle ............. 238
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion ............. 242
14 Human-dominated ecosystems: warfare = fitness enhancement
or losing strategy? ........................................ 243
The institution of war ..................................... 245
The tragedy of conflict .................................... 248
Biological warfare ......................................... 252
Computer technology, cyber-electronics and virtual
warfare .................................................... 256
The legacy of war on future generations .................... 257
Child soldiers ............................................. 259
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion ............. 262
15 Human-dominated ecosystems: reworking bioethical
frontiers .................................................. 263
Global responsibility - a transboundary detente to
developmental needs and environmental preservation ......... 264
The power of the collective - endorsing multiple-entry
bookkeeping ................................................ 265
The power of the individual ................................ 266
Stewardship of Mother Earth - in defence of the global
commons .................................................... 268
Gaia - Earth's evolving physiology ......................... 270
Gaia's three principles .................................... 272
Living within Nature's bounty .............................. 277
Principles of bioscience ethics for discussion ............. 280
Further reading ............................................ 281
Index ......................................................... 298
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