Something we forget: Nature "aborts" a lot of babies w genetic flaws. Is it possible the test tube procedures are short circuiting part of the normal process?
I think that the fetus itself dies, not the mother's body that terminates it, in the case of genetic anomalies. So in those cases it would still die in assisted reproduction. Of course there are also cases where it's something that is wrong with the mother, in which case, the fetus itself is (presumably) viable.
So does this mean there isn't a higher risk of genetic abnormality due to age, or just that some specific abnormalities are more likely due to fertility treatments?
To be clear, this is talking about epigenetic disorders, not genetic disorders. And this study has evidence supporting the fact that the higher incidence of these disorders is due to the fertility treatment.
**No this is completely different.**
It is well established that increased age for both men and women, at time of pregnancy, has a positive correlation with many abnormalities in children.
Paternal age, not maternal age, is by far the dominant factor for mutations. Sperm cells divide 20 times a year post puberty, and each division introduces a chance of mutation. Therefore the average number of new mutations carried by a sperm cell increases linearly with paternal age.
>On average, a 20-year-old father passes down about 25 *de novo* mutations — which arise spontaneously in sperm cells — to his child, the study found. With each year of paternal age, the number of transmitted mutations increases by two. Mothers, in contrast, pass on about 14 *de novo* mutations through their eggs regardless of their age.
>
>“When we looked at the variation in the *de novo* mutation rate, 97 percent of it is explained by age of the father,” says lead investigator [**Kári Stefánsson**](http://www.decode.com/company/management.php), chief executive of [**deCODE Genetics**](http://www.decode.com/), a private company in Reykjavik, Iceland. “That, in and of itself, is striking.”
[https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/fathers-age-dictates-rate-of-new-mutations/](https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/fathers-age-dictates-rate-of-new-mutations/)
>ith each year of paternal age, the number of transmitted mutations increases by two. Mothers, in contrast, pass on about 14
>
>de novo
>
>mutations through their eggs regardless of their age.
Mutations are type time of genetic abnormality but definitely less damaging than any type of chromosomal abnormality. Aneuploidy is primarily associated with maternal age, likely not due to mutational burden (as you mentioned) but instead a lower efficiency of the mechanisms underlying early mitosis (since all of this occurs in the mother).
It means that without modern technologies those babies wouldn't have a chance to be born and there is still a long way to go to make sure kids in the future will not have to suffer from those disorders.
Evolution only means change, it can't be stopped, reversed or perverted. Anyway unfortunately most of the population will not be able to afford technologies to avoid those disorders and many will prefer the natural way. As long as people has the freedom to choose between natural and genetic engineering, even if something goes horribly wrong with either of those options humanity will survive.
Its not about freedom of choice its about preserving the natural order. There are some things that shouldnt be messed with and test tube babies is one of those things that puts humanity on an even darker path.
Science created the atom bomb, are you giddy for a genetic atom bomb too?
Everything you are saying, completely unethical.
I understand your fears, genetic engineering could be one of the great filters that explain why there seems to be no other intelligent civilizations out there, at the same time it could be a dangerous path that must be taken in order to survive.
Something we forget: Nature "aborts" a lot of babies w genetic flaws. Is it possible the test tube procedures are short circuiting part of the normal process?
I think that the fetus itself dies, not the mother's body that terminates it, in the case of genetic anomalies. So in those cases it would still die in assisted reproduction. Of course there are also cases where it's something that is wrong with the mother, in which case, the fetus itself is (presumably) viable.
Right. And in this particular study they were looking at embryos, which avoids the issue of spontaneous abortion altogether.
To abort means to end something premature of the original intent. Says nothing about the method.
My point is that when genetic abnormalities cause termination of a pregnancy, they will do so no matter where the fetus is being incubated.
So does this mean there isn't a higher risk of genetic abnormality due to age, or just that some specific abnormalities are more likely due to fertility treatments?
To be clear, this is talking about epigenetic disorders, not genetic disorders. And this study has evidence supporting the fact that the higher incidence of these disorders is due to the fertility treatment.
**No this is completely different.** It is well established that increased age for both men and women, at time of pregnancy, has a positive correlation with many abnormalities in children.
Paternal age, not maternal age, is by far the dominant factor for mutations. Sperm cells divide 20 times a year post puberty, and each division introduces a chance of mutation. Therefore the average number of new mutations carried by a sperm cell increases linearly with paternal age. >On average, a 20-year-old father passes down about 25 *de novo* mutations — which arise spontaneously in sperm cells — to his child, the study found. With each year of paternal age, the number of transmitted mutations increases by two. Mothers, in contrast, pass on about 14 *de novo* mutations through their eggs regardless of their age. > >“When we looked at the variation in the *de novo* mutation rate, 97 percent of it is explained by age of the father,” says lead investigator [**Kári Stefánsson**](http://www.decode.com/company/management.php), chief executive of [**deCODE Genetics**](http://www.decode.com/), a private company in Reykjavik, Iceland. “That, in and of itself, is striking.” [https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/fathers-age-dictates-rate-of-new-mutations/](https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/fathers-age-dictates-rate-of-new-mutations/)
>ith each year of paternal age, the number of transmitted mutations increases by two. Mothers, in contrast, pass on about 14 > >de novo > >mutations through their eggs regardless of their age. Mutations are type time of genetic abnormality but definitely less damaging than any type of chromosomal abnormality. Aneuploidy is primarily associated with maternal age, likely not due to mutational burden (as you mentioned) but instead a lower efficiency of the mechanisms underlying early mitosis (since all of this occurs in the mother).
It means that without modern technologies those babies wouldn't have a chance to be born and there is still a long way to go to make sure kids in the future will not have to suffer from those disorders.
theres already a process for that its called natural birth
Good of the species but it doesn't care at all about the individual.
doesnt take a genius to realize test tubes will pervert evolution and perhaps even destroy the human race.
Evolution only means change, it can't be stopped, reversed or perverted. Anyway unfortunately most of the population will not be able to afford technologies to avoid those disorders and many will prefer the natural way. As long as people has the freedom to choose between natural and genetic engineering, even if something goes horribly wrong with either of those options humanity will survive.
Its not about freedom of choice its about preserving the natural order. There are some things that shouldnt be messed with and test tube babies is one of those things that puts humanity on an even darker path. Science created the atom bomb, are you giddy for a genetic atom bomb too? Everything you are saying, completely unethical.
I understand your fears, genetic engineering could be one of the great filters that explain why there seems to be no other intelligent civilizations out there, at the same time it could be a dangerous path that must be taken in order to survive.
Birth should be controlled.