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Foundations of Technology
The Designed World: Medical Technologies

practiceDiscussion: Ethical Issues in Medicine

There are many ethical considerations that must be made when it comes to organ transplants and donations. Taking organs from one body and putting them in another brings up many controversial issues. A recent movie "The Island" addressed such issues. In the movie, a wealthy person can pay to be cloned and have their clone held in a complex. If the original person, from whom the clone was made needs an organ or replacement body part, the clone is killed and their organs are harvested. This is just one example of an ethical issue related to the availability of transplants.

Some cultures believe it is wrong to deface a body after death. Where do we get the organs from? The organs must be alive to be usable. Do we allow a very sick or injured person to die so that we may gather their organs? If we cannot gather organs in these ways can we attempt to clone them or use stem cells to construct them? There are many controversial topics involved with transplants.

kidney transplant
Kidney for transplant

Choose and ethical issue or question related to organ transplants and follow the directions below to complete this assignment. To get you started thinking watch the student created video below. The video brings up another ethical issue related to organ transplants.

film Video: Who lives and who dies?

Assignment: Choose an ethical issue or question related to organ transplants and choose a stance on it. Create a post on the Organ Transplants Discussion Board. In the subject line state the question or issue you are addressing. In the body explain why the issue is controversial and provide an argument for your stance. Reply to a classmate who addressed a different topic and tell them why you agree or disagree with them. You will be graded on the following.
-Issue or question stated in subject line (5 points)
-Explanation of why this issue is controversial (5 points)
-State and support your stance on the issue (5 points)
-Reply to a classmate who has selected a different issue. Tell them why you agree or disagree with their stance. (5 points)
 
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