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> will result in mankind accumulating more and more genetic defects Why? Unless the Down Syndrome patients themselves have children, then there wouldn't be a
by nivenkos 6y ago
> will result in mankind accumulating more and more genetic defects
Why?
Unless the Down Syndrome patients themselves have children, then there wouldn't be an evolutionary impact.
- chmod775 6y agoAre you planning to make laws that will make it illegal for people with genetic defects to procreate? Seriously?
- lazyasciiart 6y agoThat seems like a big jump from what they actually said.
- inglor_cz 6y agoYou are probably not aware of the fact that majority of Down sufferers cannot procreate. There is only a few recorded instances of Down sufferers having children. That said, you can have mosaic aneuploidy (just some cells are affected), in that case, your life is likely to be more typical.
- raunakdag 6y agoWhy wouldn’t the Down Syndrome patients themselves have children?
- hengri 6y agoBecause most people with Down Syndrome are sterile
- puzzlingcaptcha 6y agoThey generally do not, either due to defects of germ cell formation or just little sexual activity. "As of 2006, three instances of males with Down syndrome fathering children and 26 cases of females having children have been reported." https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(06)03067-6/fulltext https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(06)03067-6/full...
- zbyte64 6y agoIt's much, much, less likely. Half of women with down syndrome are infertile. If they do get pregnant they usually end with a miscarriage and there is a 50% chance the syndrome won't be passed down. Homosapiens are a result of chromosomal fusion, so I would approach the claim of "accruing defects" with great skepticism. Nature is still selecting as evidence by inflicting a high miscarriage & infertility rate. https://www.ndss.org/resources/sexuality/ https://www.ndss.org/resources/sexuality/ https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/children-s-health-issues/chromosome-and-gene-abnormalities/down-syndrome-trisomy-21 https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/children-s-health-issues/c...
- bregma 6y agoI believe most would choose not to take that step because they are well and truly cognisant of the level of responsibility and care required to raise a child with the same, or more extensive, needs as they themselves had. No one would know better than they would, and I have yet to meet a person with Downs that was stupid despite any manifest intellectual deficit. That said, it is definitely immoral to forcibly prevent another human from having a child. Any debate on morality must focus on the decision the individual themselves must make.
- __s 6y agoGenetic disorders don't always express themselves, but can run in the family
- puzzlingcaptcha 6y agoSure but there is a difference between a single gene disorder with a given inheritence pattern, and a trisomy which is a numerical chromosomal aberration.
- Tobani 6y agoI don't they are referring to DS patients. Just that Darwinian evolutionary processes only selects for traits that make an impact prior to reproductive age. If a trait isn't expressed until after you have kids (MS, Huntington's etc.) it becomes easier to pass it on. Also as more diseases become survivable due to treatments / science then it would be easier to pass those traits on as well.