GATTACA free response questions
Choose one of the following essay topics and write a response that is at least 500 words. Remember, you are trying to convince the
reader to adopt your position. Even though your morals and beliefs may be a part of your choice, they may not influence the
reader. Avoid opinions in your writing and stick to the compelling facts and evidence.
1. In the movie, parents can choose their future child from a group of pre-screened embryos. These embryos are scanned for a variety of
inherited genetic defects and the less desirable ones are discarded. As a parent, would you choose to use this type of service? Other
thoughts to consider: Would you tell your child about the choice you made? Try to think of any unexpected events that may arise as a
consequence of your decision and how you would deal with them. How would this affect the diversity of the human gene pool?
2. Are some people genetically superior to others? This has been a central debate of humanity since long before we knew anything
about genetics. The central problem of the debate revolves around the criteria involved in defining what is “superior”. Discrimination and
prejudice are inescapable consequences of this line of thought. Would “genoism” eliminate behaviors like racism and sexism or amplify
them? Do you think it is fair for society to base the worthiness of an individual on that person’s genetic quotient? Would it be fair to the
“natural” generations of people if society was based on attributes that only “selected” generations could have? Invariably, the economic
status of an individual would have repercussions on the matter since the technology would likely be expensive and provided in varying
tiers of expertise and expense. Would you want to know ALL of your supposed faults from a medical screening of your genome?
3. What makes you who you are? Nature or Nurture? When your dad’s sperm fertilized your mother’s egg, your genetics were
cemented…you can’t choose your parents. How much of your personality is a result of that fusion of your parent’s genes? You got your
mom’s eyes and your dad’s hair, but what about the more nebulous traits like intelligence, temperament, mental stability, sexual
orientation, etc. ? Are those attributes actually in your genes or did you learn them through your experiences in the natural world? Please
feel free to use yourself and your personal experiences with friends and family as the focus of this essay.
4. All living creatures are based on a DNA code. The molecules(nucleic acids) that make up that code are exactly the same for all life.
Variation between species is simply variation in the order of these molecules. This means that genetic codes can theoretically be
transferred between different species, in fact, bacteria do this naturally. Science now has the technology, albeit limited, to take genes from
various forms of life and insert them into others. If geneticists discovered genes for enhanced memory or mathematical/verbal ability or
athletic prowess, we could splice genes from gifted individuals(Einstein or Lebron James) into average individuals. It could even go a step
further with the insertion of non-human genetic code into our genomes. Do you agree or disagree with “transgenic” technology?
GATTACA free response questions
Choose one of the following essay topics and write a response that is at least 500 words. Remember, you are trying to convince the
reader to adopt your position. Even though your morals and beliefs may be a part of your choice, they may not influence the
reader. Avoid opinions in your writing and stick to the compelling facts and evidence.
1. In the movie, parents can choose their future child from a group of pre-screened embryos. These embryos are scanned for a variety of
inherited genetic defects and the less desirable ones are discarded. As a parent, would you choose to use this type of service? Other
thoughts to consider: Would you tell your child about the choice you made? Try to think of any unexpected events that may arise as a
consequence of your decision and how you would deal with them. How would this affect the diversity of the human gene pool?
2. Are some people genetically superior to others? This has been a central debate of humanity since long before we knew anything
about genetics. The central problem of the debate revolves around the criteria involved in defining what is “superior”. Discrimination and
prejudice are inescapable consequences of this line of thought. Would “genoism” eliminate behaviors like racism and sexism or amplify
them? Do you think it is fair for society to base the worthiness of an individual on that person’s genetic quotient? Would it be fair to the
“natural” generations of people if society was based on attributes that only “selected” generations could have? Invariably, the economic
status of an individual would have repercussions on the matter since the technology would likely be expensive and provided in varying
tiers of expertise and expense. Would you want to know ALL of your supposed faults from a medical screening of your genome?
3. What makes you who you are? Nature or Nurture? When your dad’s sperm fertilized your mother’s egg, your genetics were
cemented…you can’t choose your parents. How much of your personality is a result of that fusion of your parent’s genes? You got your
mom’s eyes and your dad’s hair, but what about the more nebulous traits like intelligence, temperament, mental stability, sexual
orientation, etc. ? Are those attributes actually in your genes or did you learn them through your experiences in the natural world? Please
feel free to use yourself and your personal experiences with friends and family as the focus of this essay.
4. All living creatures are based on a DNA code. The molecules(nucleic acids) that make up that code are exactly the same for all life.
Variation between species is simply variation in the order of these molecules. This means that genetic codes can theoretically be
transferred between different species, in fact, bacteria do this naturally. Science now has the technology, albeit limited, to take genes from
various forms of life and insert them into others. If geneticists discovered genes for enhanced memory or mathematical/verbal ability or
athletic prowess, we could splice genes from gifted individuals(Einstein or Lebron James) into average individuals. It could even go a step
further with the insertion of non-human genetic code into our genomes. Do you agree or disagree with “transgenic” technology?