Heterochromatin: Molecular and Structural Aspects

Book reviewsunnecessarily or precipitately transgress established beliefs and morals, and which are1 based on the fullest possible understanding of the issues involved.This book therefore performs a valuable function in recording discussions by a diverse, authoritative group about the moral status of the human embryo.Meeting at King's College, London, the group comprised three medical practitioners, a research scientist engaged in experimental biology, and three theologians working on moral questions.The reli- gious traditions included Anglican, Roman Catho- lic, and Jewish, the last represented by the Chief Rabbi of Britain and the Commonwealth.Early chapters provide a simple outline of the early development of the embryo and what ends might be served by research on the developing embryo.The first ethical problem to be considered involves the pros and cons of sex selection in the absence of disease.The book then traces the moral tradition from the civilisations of ancient Mesopota- mia through Jewish, Greek, Arabic, and European cultures, and leads to chapters on Jewish Rabbinic teaching and on contemporary Roman Catholic teaching.The proposition that protection of the embryo might be delayed until it has the capacity for feeling is critically examined.Finally, a philosopher ex- amines the various arguments advanced and tries to discern consistency or inconsistency between them and with contemporary philosophical reasoning.This is an elegant, well informed, and straight- forward book which sets out the facts and the philosophy and provides essential background reading for anybody who, for whatever reason, is drawn into the present debate on the status of the human embryo.