Biology in everyday human life examples. A message which provides examples of the use of biological knowledge in everyday life. Biology. Biosphere. Ecology

Biology as a science that studies life in all its manifestations using a variety of methods, consists of many scientific directions, or sections, which act as independent sciences. Modern biology is a system of sciences about living nature. It includes botany, zoology, morphology, anatomy, systematics, cytology, physiology, embryology, whose development began a long time ago, and the relatively young modern ones - microbiology, virology, genetics, biochemistry, biophysics, radiobiology, space biology and many other biological sciences. The names of some biological sciences are associated with the names of the organisms they study, in particular algology studies algae, zoology studies animals, botany studies plants, mycology studies fungi, virology studies viruses, bacteriology studies bacteria. The names of other sciences are associated with the structural features and vital functions of organisms: morphology studies the external structure of organisms, anatomy - internal structure, physiology - vital processes, etc. You will study the basics of some of these sciences, get acquainted with others, and about some, Perhaps you will only hear it during your life.

Biological science is the foundation, the basis for the development of many areas of knowledge. Biology plays a special role in the development of medicine, agriculture and forestry, etc. It is closely related to other sciences - geography, astronomy, physics, technology, mathematics, cybernetics, chemistry, geology, etc.

Knowledge of general biological laws, features of the development and reproduction of living organisms allows us to develop effective methods and means in the field of medicine aimed at protecting human health. Agricultural science uses biological knowledge to meet human needs for food, etc. Material from the site

The main objectives of modern biology are the study of the relationship between man and the environment, the diversity of living organisms and their interactions with each other, the study of the possibilities of extending human life and curing various serious diseases, the study of biological phenomena in order to solve technical problems, research life in Cosmos conditions, etc.

So, biology is extremely important for solving many problems of the present. It closely interacts with medicine, agriculture, and industry, and therefore it is considered a science of the 21st century.

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On this page there is material on the following topics:

• importance of biological knowledge
• The importance of biological knowledge for the practical activities of people
• the importance of practical biology
• How does a person apply biological knowledge?
• where biological knowledge is used

Biology is the science of life, of the organisms that exist on Earth. It got its name from Greek words that are known to everyone: “bios” - life; "logos" is science. Objects for studying biology are found everywhere: in cities, steppes, forests, mountains, swamps and even arid deserts. Countless plants exist not only on land, but also in oceans, seas, lakes, rivers and ponds. Even the Arctic and Antarctica have their own flora and fauna.

The role of biology in human life

Everyone knows that plants not only saturate the air with invaluable oxygen, necessary for the breathing of all living things on the planet, but also take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The importance of biology in the food industry cannot be overestimated, because everything we have owes to nature. Bread, various confectionery sweets, pasta and cereals are made from wheat alone. In addition, humans use any parts of plants. For example, the seeds of legumes are edible. Garden trees and shrubs, as well as many vegetable crops, bear tasty fruits. Carrots, turnips, radishes and beets are sown for their roots. A variety of dishes are prepared from cabbage leaves, lettuce, spinach, sorrel and parsley. And flowering plants in flower beds, gardens and greenhouses are grown for aesthetic reasons.

What does biology study?

Today it is a whole system of sciences, which includes the general laws of the existence of living nature, its forms and development. Depending on the object of study of biology (animals, plants, viruses, etc.), it has subsections:

• zoology;
• botany;
• anatomy;
• virology.

These sciences are also subdivided. For example, botany includes:

• mycology (studies of mushrooms);
• algology (studies algae);
• bryology (studies of mosses), etc.

Zoology includes:

Application in medicine

The practical significance of biology is enormous. Herbal treatment has been known since ancient times, but herbal medicine gained equality among other methods only in the last century. After clinical trials, medicines obtained from plant materials entered the pharmacy. Now the scope of use of medicinal plants in official and folk medicine is quite large.

The rapid progress of science is successfully used in medical practice. It is discoveries in this area that determine the importance of biology in medicine and characterize the current level of its development. For example, the study of genetics has led to the use of methods for early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of human diseases transmitted by inheritance. The progress of genetic engineering provides enormous prospects for the creation of bioactive components in medical preparations.

The practical application of biology often changes the understanding of the treatment of many diseases. Thus, thanks to the development of genetics, the insulin gene was created and introduced into the genome of Escherichia coli. This strain has the ability to synthesize a hormone that is used to treat patients with diabetes. The same method is used today to produce somatotropin (the hormone responsible for growth) and many other substances produced by the human body: interferon, immunogenic drugs.

Implications for agriculture

The laws of nature are used to solve many issues in various sectors of the world economy, so the role of biology in modern society is one of the main ones. The increasing pace of the planet's population and the decrease in areas occupied by agricultural crops are leading to a large-scale crisis in the future - the problem of nutrition. Accelerated production of products will be required.

Wildlife system

Biology is a science that studies and analyzes the properties of living systems. However, it is not easy to define what exactly this area includes. To do this, scientists have identified several signs by which an organism can be considered alive. The main of these properties are metabolism or metabolism, the ability for self-reproduction and self-regulation. With the help of science, a person understands the living world around him. But, in addition to its studying function, biology also has practical significance. Compliance with its laws helps to understand that living nature is a system in which everything is interconnected, and it is necessary to maintain a balance of various types of creatures. If you lose only one view from it, harm will be caused to all other links. This knowledge is a powerful argument for convincing humanity of the need and importance of preserving the ecological balance.

Man as a biological species

Another subsection is the field of study of the organism of higher beings. Biology in human life serves as the basis for the development of medicine, providing the opportunity to determine the properties and structure of the body. We, as representatives of a certain biological species, need to know the basic characteristics of our body in order to successfully exist in the modern world and make the right choice. This information will help you understand how to arrange your diet, distribute physical and mental stress correctly, and how to preserve your own health. Rational use of the reserves of the human body can significantly increase its performance.

Main directions of modern biology

Knowledge of the laws of existence of living organisms helps humanity to develop new species that are more suitable for growing in unnatural environments. The importance of biology as a science is undeniable. Thanks to the use of its laws, crop yields and meat production have increased significantly, which is so necessary during the period of depletion of natural reserves. Humanity is constantly faced with many significant questions: “how to overcome incurable diseases”, “how to prevent hunger”, “how to prolong life”, “how to learn to breathe without oxygen”. The answers can only be suggested by nature itself if you constantly explore the animal and plant world. In the middle of the twentieth century, a separate branch of biology appeared - genetics. This is the science of information stored on a chromosome, like a movie on a CD. She explains what life expectancy depends on, what diseases a particular individual has, how, by changing the gene sequence, you can increase some positive properties and neutralize negative ones (for example, modifying soybeans increases yield and reduces ripening time).

Bioenergy

Another type of biology that studies the consumption and production of energy by living organisms. Green plants feed on carbon dioxide and, in addition to invaluable oxygen, release a certain amount of energy by absorbing sunlight. These factors in the process of oxygen production by plants were taken as the basis for the production of solar cells.

Nature is the best inventor

Even such ordinary and simple branches of biology as botany and zoology at one time brought considerable benefits for the future:

• tracking bats contributed to the discovery of echolocation (moving by sounds reflected from objects);
• The study of dog behavior made it possible to learn about conditioned reflexes, which, by the way, are also present in humans.

It is impossible to overestimate the importance of biology in medicine. For example, trying to save humanity from chickenpox, scientists had to closely monitor the course of the disease, determine whether there were survivors, and what changes occurred in the bodies of recovered patients. This is how the first vaccines were developed - the preventive introduction of weakened smallpox bacteria into the body to create lasting immunity. Modern biologists around the world are racking their brains about how to combat oncology, AIDS and other deadly diseases today. But for science it is only a matter of time.

Progress does not stand still

The modern increased importance of biology as a science is applied in several directions. Today, technologies for determining the structure of biopolymers have been improved. A method has been discovered for reading and analyzing genetic information, including determining DNA nucleotide sequences. Following this, humanity stands on the path of almost complete decoding of the genetic information contained in its chromosomes. This is one of the main achievements of biology.

This opens up opportunities for the invention of new technologies for the treatment and prevention of various ailments. In addition, today the role of biology in modern society is to purposefully create chemicals with pre-programmed properties, which will allow us to identify and manufacture new and effective types of medicines.

The current achievements of biology and medicine also include the creation of artificial organs. Today, medical scientists are busy producing and using synthetic muscles, presenting artificially grown liver tissue and heart valves.

Biogas

Biology in human life is also capable of solving energy problems. One of the most progressive ways of extracting energy from plants is the production of methane. It is formed from biomass in the absence of contact with air. Many farms use plant and animal waste to produce methane in special biogas plants. With their help, you can heat your homestead buildings. The operation of such units leaves the environment clean, and their use requires minimal costs.

The healing power of nature

Man and nature are one. Mighty oaks, white birches, giant pines and spruces, virgin thickets of hawthorn, raspberry, dogwood, black and red elderberry, sea buckthorn and acacia, hazel and rose hips - all these forest tree species and medicinal berries are widely used in folk and traditional medicine. Phytoncides of wild onions, garlic, bird cherry, walnut, eucalyptus, essential oils of cedar, pine, spruce saturate the forest air with a unique healing aroma. Herbal medicine helps patients with cardiovascular diseases, neuropsychiatric disorders, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, genitourinary, respiratory, secretory and hormonal systems to recover.

Natural remedies for treating diseases allow you to combine active prevention with therapy for a specific disease. People receive these medicines primarily from plants. Their healing power is transferred to the patient, helping to overcome the disease. Man should be grateful to nature for the priceless gifts that she has generously scattered everywhere.

Every day the practical importance of biology in human life is increasing. Modern science uses a whole arsenal of medicinal plants that can have a therapeutic effect and prevent many human diseases. Further development of the modern world is realistic only in unity with nature, with the active use of biotechnology. To achieve your goals, you cannot do without the deepest knowledge of the laws of the natural world.

A person as an individual and as a biological species encounters various manifestations of knowledge of the basics of biology from the moment of his birth. When born, a human baby (though not only a human one), sometimes knows better than its own parents what will benefit its body and what will harm it. And although such knowledge is often attributed to purely reflexive and intuitive knowledge, a person retains some aspects of it throughout his life. Such knowledge includes knowledge of biological rhythms, the nutritional value of certain foods, and intuitive knowledge about the diet during illness. We observe similar reflex knowledge in many domestic animals, who use various herbs to restore and treat the body in many pathological conditions.

Similar behavior can be observed in the early stages of the formation of humans as a species. At the dawn of its development, biological knowledge was a way for humans to survive as a species. With the increasing complexity of psychophysical and social development and the emergence of intelligence, the role of biological knowledge undoubtedly increases. This is due to the fact that during that period of its historical development, human existence, both as a species and as a society, depended only on environmental conditions, both abiotic (temperature, pressure, humidity, relief, climate) and biological (biological diversity and numbers animals and plants, biology and ecology of a specific type of biological resource).

For the normal and productive existence of man as a biological species, as well as for his further development in both the biological and social aspects, it was necessary to accumulate and transfer knowledge about the environment, the quality and quantity of food resources to the next generations. Being engaged in hunting and gathering, a person had to know the habits of animals, the nature of their nutritional value, distinguish between edible and poisonous plants, and use medicinal plants.

The translation of the word “Biology” - as “the science of life” fully justifies itself - is the science of how we live, and how they live next to us. Some ideas about such knowledge of prehistoric man have reached us in the form of rock paintings.

The most ancient civilizations, which are currently recognized as the civilizations of China, Mesopotamia and Egypt, accumulated information about many species of plants, their medicinal and other properties of plants and animals, and methods for domesticating many species of animals.

The philosophers of the greatest of ancient civilizations - Ancient Greek - became the founders of not only descriptive, but also systematizing biology. Greek philosophers, living back in the 4th and 5th centuries BC, in their works put forward various theories about the origin of plants and animals. Aristotle in his writings quite accurately described many species of animals and plants. He described the development of the chicken embryo, the reproduction of sharks and bees, put forward the first idea of ​​the evolution of the animal world, proposed the “ladder of nature”, according to which plants and animals, gradually changing under the influence of an internal desire for perfection, move upward in their development to a more complex and perfect organization .

Another Greek scientist Halley, who became the founder of modern medicine, studied the processes occurring in the body. To do this, he was the first to use experimental animals. As the first experimental physiologist, he studied some of the functions of the brain. For thirteen long centuries he remained the main authority in anatomy, although there were many errors in his works, since he described the structure of the human body, and used pigs and monkeys for dissection.

The next surge in the development of sciences, including biology, was the Renaissance, marked by the works of such scientists as Roger Bacon, Albertus Magnus, Leonardo da Vince.

Professor at the University of Padua Andrei Vesalius was the first to perform autopsies on human corpses, make descriptions of what he saw and discover inaccuracies in Halley’s works. He emphasized that in order to understand ongoing processes and phenomena, it is necessary to rely on one’s own observations and judgments, and not on the opinions of authorities. Such freethinking and disregard for authority at that time cost him his professorship.

The founder of the study of circulatory processes was the English physician William Harvey, who published his treatise on blood formation and circulation. According to Halley, blood is formed in the liver from food, from where it enters all organs of the body and is completely used there. It was assumed that the heart lacked muscle tissue and that it expanded passively under the influence of blood flow. Harvey, based on his own observations, described the process of filling the atria with blood and pushing it out as a result of contractions of the muscle tissue of the atria. He proved that blood flows out of the artery in spurts, the rhythm of which corresponds to the beats of the heart. Based on these observations, Harvey proposed that blood flows from the heart through the arteries and returns to it through the veins. Such studies marked the beginning of the development of a new science - physiology, which studies the functions of individual organs and systems.

The invention and manufacture of the microscope opened new horizons for research. Robert Hooke, Marcello Malpighi, Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek and Jan Swammerdam studied the structure of animal and plant tissues. Using a microscope with a magnification of 30 times, Hooke discovered the cellular structure of a section of a cork, calling the formations he saw cells. Livengu, using a microscope with a magnification of 270 times, described human sperm, bacteria, protozoa and nuclei in blood cells.

In the Middle Ages, during the era of militant Christianity and the Inquisition, scientists who encroached on the idea of ​​the divine essence of man, of the frailty of existence, where there is no place for knowledge capable of prolonging the human age and going against “God’s will,” were subjected to especially severe persecution. All the more valuable for descendants is knowledge, the price for which was more than one human life and fate.

During this period in the development of biology, evidence was accumulated, and it was called the descriptive stage.

The next stage, called systematic, was marked by the creation of the living system of Carl Linnaeus, who, in addition to the proposed classification of plants and animals, proposed the use of a single binary (double, consisting of a generic and species name) nomenclature of plants and animals, which is used to this day.

An important contribution to the development of theoretical biology, as well as the foundation of a new science - embryology, was the work of Karl Baer. The law formulated by him is still one of the fundamental ones not only in embryology, but also formed the basis of evolutionary teaching.

The accumulation of a sufficient amount of factual data and the beginning of their theoretical understanding posed even more global questions for scientists, namely the question of the formation and development of species. Many works since ancient times have tried to give their explanation of this issue, but the most significant theories about the origin of species and the driving forces of evolution were given by Jean Baptiste Lamarck and Charles Darwin.

The 19th century was very generous with discoveries in various branches of science, and biology was no exception. In addition to those already mentioned above, it should be noted the emergence of cell theory, the discovery of the laws of heredity, the emergence of such a science as microbiology and many other important discoveries.

The 20th century was the century of the greatest achievements of science, and the impetus for the transition to a new level of research activity was the use of physical and chemical research methods in biology. This is how biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, radiobiology and many others appear at the intersection of sciences. Ecology became an independent science, which later became a synthetic branch of knowledge.

It is impossible to overestimate the importance of biological knowledge for modern man. The development of any science opens up new horizons for a person, allows him to significantly improve the quality of his own life and appreciate what the world around him gives to a person. The scope of application of biological knowledge is enormous. It affects almost all sectors of life, from basic everyday life to cosmic ones.

1.1. The term “biology” was introduced by J.B. Lamarck and Treviranus in 1802 (bios-life).

Biology– the science of life, the forms of living things, the laws of existence and development of the organic world. The object of biology research is living organisms. The structure, functions, connections with other organisms and the environment (including inanimate nature) are studied. Discoveries in biology at the end of the twentieth century are comparable to discoveries in space.

BiolomGia(Greek vyplpgYab - vYapt, bios, “life”; lgpt, logos, “teaching”, “science”) - the science of life (wildlife), one of the natural sciences, the subject of which is living beings and their interaction with the environment . Biology is the study of all aspects of life, particularly the structure, functioning, growth, origin, evolution and distribution of living organisms on Earth. Classifies and describes living beings, the origin of their species, and their interactions with each other and with the environment.

As a special science, biology emerged from the natural sciences in the 19th century, when scientists discovered that living organisms have certain characteristics common to all. the term "biology" was coined in 1802. Modern biology is based on five fundamental principles: cell theory, evolution, genetics, homeostasis, and energy. Nowadays, biology is a standard subject in secondary and higher educational institutions around the world. More than a million articles and books on biology, medicine and biomedicine are published annually.

In biology, the following levels of organization are distinguished:

Cellular, subcellular and molecular level: Cells contain intracellular structures that are built from molecules.

Organismic and organ-tissue level: in multicellular organisms, cells make up tissues and organs. The organs, in turn, interact within the framework of the whole organism.

Population level: individuals of the same species living in part of the range form a population.

Species level: individuals freely interbreeding with each other, possessing morphological, physiological, biochemical similarities and occupying a certain habitat (area of ​​distribution) form a species.

Biogeocenotic and biosphere level: on a homogeneous area of ​​the earth's surface, biogeocenoses develop, which, in turn, form the biosphere.

Most biological sciences are more specialized disciplines. Traditionally, they are grouped according to the types of organisms studied: botany studies plants, zoology studies animals, microbiology studies single-celled microorganisms. Fields within biology are further divided either by the scope of study or by the methods used: biochemistry studies the chemical basis of life, molecular biology - the complex interactions between biological molecules, cell biology and cytology - the basic building blocks of multicellular organisms, cells, histology and anatomy - the structure of tissues and an organism from individual organs and tissues, physiology - the physical and chemical functions of organs and tissues, ethology - the behavior of living beings, ecology - the interdependence of various organisms and their environment.

Genetics studies the transmission of hereditary information. The development of an organism in ontogenesis is studied by developmental biology. The origin and historical development of living nature - paleobiology and evolutionary biology.

On the borders with related sciences, the following arise: biomedicine, biophysics (the study of living objects by physical methods), biometrics, etc. In connection with the practical needs of man, such areas as space biology, sociobiology, labor physiology, and bionics arise.

1.2. Disclosure of these topics will help students understand the essence of life processes and correctly assess the possibilities of the therapeutic effect of medicinal substances on the human body.

The subject "Biology" in pharmaceutical universities (faculties), together with other disciplines, is intended to ultimately form a specialist capable of solving general biological, medical and pharmaceutical problems related to the problem of "Man and Medicines".

1. Be able to interpret universal biological phenomena, the basic properties of living things (heredity, variability, irritability, metabolism, etc.) as applied to humans.

2.Know evolutionary connections (phylogeny of organs, occurrence of developmental defects).

3. Analyze the patterns and mechanisms of normal ontogenesis and interpret them in relation to humans.

4.Know the basics of medical and biological research of humans.

23-24. Social and philosophical problems of application of biological knowledge and their analysis

(taken from: “MODERN CULTURE AND GENETIC ENGINEERING” Philosophical reflections (V.S. Polikarpov, Yu.G. Volkov, V.A. Polikarpova))

Landmark advances in molecular biology, molecular genetics and other areas of biology led to the emergence of genetic engineering, which underlies modern biotechnology, and began to have a huge impact on the worldview of society. The discovery of the universality of the genetic code is the greatest discovery of modern science, comparable only to the splitting of the atom. The consequences of their practical implementation for the future of human civilization are also significant. We can say that biology of the second half of the 20th century. rightfully occupies one of the leading places among the sciences that contribute to scientific and technological progress, as well as solving global problems of our time.

Biology in general and genetic engineering in particular are radically changing our ideas about human nature, giving rise to a new range of social, cultural, ideological, ethical and other problems.

This, in turn, requires a philosophical understanding of the construction of the nature of living things, including human nature, using genetic engineering methods. Through knowledge of the nature of living things, the construction of new biosystems is now taking place, a radical transformation of human nature, which forces the latter to reconsider his attitude towards science itself. Nowadays, the well-established idea that science makes a person’s life better is no longer enough, because knowledge of the laws of the surrounding world allows him to more fully satisfy his needs. Genetic engineering has greatly contributed to the destruction of this idea - science is beginning to be seen as the source of numerous threats to human existence.

And although there are different points of view, on discoveries that represent cultural innovation, the one expressed by the Swiss biologist B. Mach has become typical. He indicates three motives for a scientist’s activity: 1) cognitive interest, the search for truth about the world; 2) fear of what is unknown, incomprehensible and mysterious; 3) the benefits for humanity that the possession of knowledge brings.

The latter, as the scientist notes, is now quite rightly called into question. As an example, he cites the discovery in such a seemingly “innocent” science as botany of a substance that counteracts plant growth. This made it possible to change the relationship between fruit growth and leaf development. This discovery began to be effectively used on cotton plantations: the new substance caused leaves to fall off, which greatly facilitated the harvest of cotton. However, later this substance (defoliant) began to be used as a chemical weapon by the American army in Vietnam. As a result of the use of defoliant, forests lost their leaves, the ecology was disrupted, which led to catastrophic results (various types of diseases, increased mortality of local residents, etc.) Even more formidable dangers can be caused by discoveries in the field of genetic engineering, therefore, in the scientific community, on the pages of popular scientific journals and newspapers are actively discussing and predicting the possible uncontrolled consequences of interference in human nature, as well as the results of research within the “man - nature - society” system.

New medicines for humans and animals, new varieties of plants, growing children “in vitro”, gene therapy methods for correcting hereditary defects in humans, various types of experimental projects with the genetic material of humans, animals and plants, as a result of which it is possible to give this material the desired properties or eliminating harmful ones - all this is now the subject of numerous discussions regarding genetic engineering.

The fact is that the achievements of genetic engineering are so unusual that our consciousness, sense of self-preservation and traditional morality often protest against them.

The English biologist R. Edwards and the English gynecologist P. Steptoe put into practice O. Huxley's gloomy utopia less than thirty years after the publication of his novel “A Brave New World.” They began to create a “new beautiful” person “in vitro”. As a result, in 1978, a girl named Louise was born into the Brown family.

Thus, medicine has made a very significant step in the fight against infertility (doctors believe that about 15% of women cannot give birth to children naturally). However, the fight against infertility has given rise to new social, ethical and legal, not to mention medical, problems. The severity of the latter has been enhanced by the achievements of genetic engineering and biotechnology in general. New technologies for manipulating life include: 1) artificial insemination; 2) the act of fertilization carried out in laboratory conditions, and embryo transplantation; 3) prenatal diagnosis (and selective abortion); 4) genetic consultation and selection; 5) selection of the sex of the child 6) genetic engineering (gene linkage, DNA recombination). Some welcome these methods with joy, because they will help defeat diseases, improve human life, solve the problem of the origin of life, outline the biological future of humanity, feed the world's population, prevent environmental disaster, solve the energy problem, etc. Others are hostile to the achievements of biotechnology , since they threaten their life values.

First of all, we should consider such an event as the biological threat of microorganisms entering the environment that are dangerous to the human community and ecological systems as a whole. In the 70s The public was concerned about the possibility of the transformation of mutants of Escherichia coli (Escherichia coli, which is one of the main objects of genetic engineering) and other bacteria, which would escape the control of researchers and become the causative agents of new, unknown diseases. Measures have been taken to prevent the spread of laboratory mutants in the environment. Currently, biologists have come to the conclusion that working with recombinant DNA is quite safe (laboratory manipulations that can generate dangerous recombinants are immediately excluded), that there is no fundamental difference between a microbe with a built-in DNA fragment using genetic engineering, and a microbe that has acquired exactly that the same fragment through the natural mechanism of gene transfer, that in the fight against pests of cultivated plants (one third of the crop is lost due to diseases and pests in the world) it is necessary to use organisms carrying recombinant DNA.

Now there is concern about the possibility of genetic vectors and plants - carriers of vectors - leaving the control of biotechnologists. And although it is believed that this kind of danger is unlikely, it should be taken into account: after all, just an unlikely event can occur. The release of genetically engineered plants from human control can lead to at least two consequences: first, the transformation of genetically engineered crops into herbicide-resistant weeds; secondly, the loss of nutritional and feed value of the plant as a result of biochemical changes.

The next concerns are related to ectogenesis (the complete development of a human embryo outside the woman's body within nine months from the moment of conception). Indeed, one cannot ignore the socio-ethical problems of the following two points related to ectogenesis: 1) a woman who becomes pregnant and does not want to give birth can donate the embryo to the laboratory for further research; 2) in medical centers there are conditions for growing embryos in order to later use them as organ banks.

In the first case, this can really lead to catastrophic consequences. All living terrestrial organisms use the same genetic code in the biosynthesis of protein (which is the basis of life), therefore, it is possible to link together DNA particles of very different organisms, for example, humans with plants or animals, etc. Despite the fact that these submicroscopic particles belong to different individuals of the same species or different types of organisms, there is no phenomenon of rejection inherent in organ and tissue transplantation. At this elementary level of life, the most unexpected combinations are possible that can be directed against humans: the cultivation of artificial hybrids (endowed with appropriate properties and traits) for military needs, which can lead to innumerable social disasters. It is in genes, as noted above, that you contain all the information related to the biological structure of cells and the integrity of organisms.

In the second case, it turns out that it is transplantation that puts forward the strongest, from a medical point of view, arguments and benefits of studying in vitro fertilization and ectogenesis. Artificially grown embryos make it possible to obtain certain organs and tissues, which, when transplanted into an adult patient, do not cause the body to reject foreign inclusions. Some transplantologists believe that if they saw nothing wrong with the transplantation of organs and tissues taken from corpses, then there is nothing to protest against the transplantation of organs and tissues from artificially grown embryos.

Here, at the intersection of biology, medicine and ethics, the question arises: when does a person become human? If we proceed from Christian ethics, according to which a person is a person from the moment of conception, then it is necessary to consistently and decisively condemn any experiments and manipulations with the human zygote, regardless of whether they are used for therapeutic or research purposes. For no one has the right to sacrifice one person in the name of another, i.e. evil cannot be a means of achieving good.

Some scientists believe that the human element in the embryo appears only in the 7th week after conception. Thus, the director of the Center for Bioethics of one of the Australian universities, P. Singer, argues that even if we consider a zygote as a potential person, its destruction is by no means the same as killing an adult - conception is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for the emergence of a person. This means that not every fertilized human cell becomes a specific human individual at some point. There is no doubt, as bioethicists believe, that the formation of a person is a long and complex process, and up to a certain point, the embryo is only a biological being that can be the object of various kinds of research and experiments. Only when the embryo’s nervous system is formed and the brain becomes capable of perceiving the world around it (which for it is the mother’s womb), will it acquire the properties inherent in a person.

The answer to the question of when a person becomes a person is of particular importance today, when experiments on embryos are carried out using genetic and embryonic engineering methods, in some cases shocking us. A. Pavluchuk’s book “Challenge to Nature” provides a whole set of examples of this kind. In Stockholm, the University Hospital Research Center has a machine that can keep a seventeen- or eighteen-week human fetus alive for two hours in order to conduct experiments on it. In England, there is a trade in still living human embryos, which are used for research and then destroyed. Experimental devices called artificial wombs contain a living fetus, immersed in a nutrient medium and attached with sensors to take readings. It is excited and burned with electric current in some desired places (to study tissue regeneration). The human fetus is also used in the cosmetics industry, because, for example, perfumes with components of the fetus acquire a special, refined smell. Just think: cosmetics made from unborn children! This is truly monstrous and should cause protest from every normal person. And yet, despite the natural moral protest, the logic of the development of scientific research requires a broader view of the problem, even if we stand on the position of the sacredness and indestructibility of human life from the moment of conception.

All civilizations contain elements of cruelty and one should not create the illusion that the future will be more “humane” in this sense. If Europeans (we remain in the circle of our Christian culture) still approached man ethically, as it was understood in X and XI centuries. (i.e. they would consider vivisection of the dead unacceptable), then in the 20th century. would continue to die from inflammation of appendicitis, and huge masses of people would be crippled. Therefore, we can say: what today - in the name of the sacredness of life and the dignity of man - is considered inviolable, will someday be violated. And nothing can be done here, because this is indicated by the logic of the development of civilization to this day. At the same time, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that all predictions of the future, based on what has been achieved at the present time, usually turned out to be unrealistic.

A very complex set of social, ethical, psychological and legal problems, the formulation and solution of which entails a change in the norms, values ​​and stereotypes of culture, is associated with a whole range of possibilities created by molecular biology, genetic and embryonic engineering (some possibilities have already been realized, others are in the process of stages of real projects). First of all, it is worth noting that R. Edwards and P. Steptoe, the scientific fathers of the first “test tube” child, developed a project for an experiment to transfer a human embryo into the uterus of a pig and observe its development. The latter was intended to be brief, but it would create entirely new possibilities for observation and intervention in the developing embryo. However, the project was prevented by the protest of part of the English community of doctors.

R. Edwards also put forward another project: every human embryo “from a test tube”, destined for life (that is, transferred to the body of a woman who agreed to bear it before birth), could at the appropriate moment be divided into two halves. One half develops into a normal child (it has been proven that this is possible), the other half is frozen and is a potential “organ bank” for the person who developed from the first half. This kind of “replacement parts” would be ideal, because the problem of engraftment of transplanted organs disappears; another option for this project is freezing “in reserve” not half of a given embryo, but its brother or sister embryos (i.e., those originating from the same the same parents)

In the United States of America, a project has emerged to bank frozen eggs taken from young women at their optimal reproductive potential; these eggs are only fertilized when the woman wants to have a child. Such a bank would free her from unwanted pregnancy and hassle with children, which would allow her to pursue a career or be creative. This project has not yet been fully implemented.

Professor B. Chiarelli, an anthropologist from the University of Florence, presented a project known as “Ape Man”. The experiment is based on the fertilization of a chimpanzee with human sperm. Firstly, according to the scientist, this is a solution to the problem of “replacement parts”, because the ape-man would be a perfect living bank of them. Secondly, there are the problems of working in conditions that are dangerous to human life and health, but do not allow the use of automatic machines. We are actually talking about the creation of a “subhuman” (or “superanimal”), playing the role of a modern slave. Naturally, the very thought of the birth of such kind of human-animal hybrids causes a lot of fears. In any case, it is unlawful to purely speculatively consider the prospect of cruel treatment of new creatures, their exploitation. Here a knot of new problems arises: new creatures - people or animals - will they have human rights or not? etc.

A paradoxical situation may arise - the woman who gave birth to the Child may turn out to be his grandmother or sister; the first such case occurred in 1978: a certain P. Anthony from South Africa accepted into her womb embryos that arose from the eggs of her daughter, fertilized in vitro by the sperm of her daughter’s husband. P. Anthony gave birth to two boys and a girl. P. Anthony's daughter already had a son (after him she became infertile). And so he had a sister and brothers, who in a sense turned out to be his aunt and uncles. The three children born have a physiological mother in the person of P. Anthony and, at the same time, a thembiological grandmother. Let's not talk about the mass of ethical and legal problems in this case

It turns out that now a child can have five parents, two biological (genetic, or suppliers of the egg and sperm), a substitute mother who carried the emerging embryo, and finally, two so-called social parents who took the child after birth (the substitute mother, in accordance with the agreement, After receiving the payment, she gave the child away, but the logical parents for some reason refused (him).

A situation even more surprising in nature and sociocultural consequences arises when a child has two biological mothers. This means that the embryo arose from the fusion of two female gametes taken from two women. This kind of experiment has not yet been completed; the first experiments are being carried out on monkeys. Most experts believe that the development of a method that will allow a homosexual couple of women to have a child together is a matter of time. If such a double gamete can be induced to develop without a sperm, a child will be born that arose without the participation of a man at all. Such an experiment is extremely difficult, but not impossible. This example seems to be taken from science fiction, but it eloquently demonstrates the possibilities of biological manipulation of human genetic material.

Finally, it should be noted that the embryo transfer method is already widespread: the egg of one of the women (from a lesbian couple) is fertilized in vitro by the sperm of an anonymous man, then the embryo is transferred to the uterus of another woman (from this couple), who carries and gives birth to a child. Thus, a lesbian couple has a child together - one of the women is his biological mother, the other is his physiological one

The human species is also subject to deterministic laws of heredity, according to which offspring inherit a combination of parental traits, although the introduction of non-genetically transmitted corrections of human hereditary material is quite theoretically and technically possible in the future. However, is man the object of natural selection? Darwin expressed the essence of the latter with the formula “survival of the fittest.” Is it possible to consider the law according to which adaptive traits are preserved over generations (because the carriers of such traits are statistically better reproducers) applicable to humans?

There is a widespread perception that there is an increasing distinction between the modes of existence of humans and other species living in the natural environment. This is due to the fact that man is increasingly using the possibilities of transforming his natural environment into an artificial one (the objective body of humanity). Adaptation to the environment has ceased to be a determinant of the direction of evolution, because the reverse process occurs due to human activity; the environment undergoes changes. Man builds for himself a “human kingdom” in which both the “most fit” and the “less fit” can survive. However, there is no consensus among scientists regarding the biological consequences of this.

Some researchers take a position that can be called biblical. In their opinion, modern man is a stable, unchanging creation of evolution. Thus, Kunitsky-Goldfinger in his book “Inheritance and the Future” argues that for a long time, differentiated survival and fertility in human populations has ceased to be a factor of evolution, because “resistance to infections is in no way connected with other, especially the most biologically valuable traits, such , like rationality, a sense of personal solidarity, etc. There were two more factors tormenting humanity - hunger and war. After all, if anything was subject to selection, then they were, first of all, wealth and prosperity. There is nothing to indicate or even suggest that the possible disappearance of selection through infection, famine and war could in any way negatively affect the genetic value of a person. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the biological evolution of man has been stopped for a long time, if not forever.

Adherents of the biblical position believe that man as a biological species has ceased to be an object of the evolutionary process and that it is necessary to proceed from this position. A person is what he is, so it should be, and asking questions in connection with this is simply a pointless exercise. It is quite easy to show that such a position is based on incorrect premises. Let's focus on one, but key mistake. Hunger and war are essentially neutral factors of biological selection. They simply reduce the size of human populations, leaving their genetic structure essentially unchanged. This is reminiscent of the effect of natural disasters that cause changes in the numbers of other species. They are biologically neutral factors. Obviously, this does not mean that against the background of this “blind” biological selection, natural selection mechanisms, biologically directed and effectively changing (at least correcting) the genetic structure of human populations, did not operate. The problem of selecting the body's resistance to infections is not solved as clearly as V. Kunitsky-Goldfinger imagines. It can be assumed, for example, that resistance to infections follows from the general effectiveness of the body’s immune system: periodic “screening out” of individuals with a weaker resistance system can lead to the selection of an average degree of resistance of representatives of the species at a high level.

Recently, various modifications of the so-called position of catastrophism have become increasingly common, according to which the human species is degenerating in one way or another. In this case, we proceed from the increase in the number of carriers of hereditary diseases (for example, hemophilia, hereditary diabetes mellitus). The increasing genetic burden of human populations (especially in highly developed countries) is explained by the fact that natural selection has ceased to act on humans, but variability continues to be generated, and random mutations, as a rule, become harmful. Catastrophists warn us about the danger of a “genetic bomb”, painting a picture of a “society of patients” in which people will live and procreate only thanks to a system of medical care, drugs, etc.

The dangers here are by no means purely medical in nature. Back in 1953, the famous English biologist Darwinist J. Huxley wrote: “It is a fact that modern industrial civilization contributes to the degradation of the genes responsible for mental abilities. It is already quite clear that both in the communist Soviet Union and in most capitalist countries, people with high intelligence have fewer children than people with lower intelligence, and that this difference in intellectual level is determined genetically. Genetic differences are small, but... „and grow quickly, leading to large effects. If this process continues further, its consequences could be dire.” Indeed, imagine a world in which the means of subsistence have been exhausted, the number of people burdened with hereditary defects is increasing, and to this is added a gradual decline in the level of intelligence of people! The sum of these kinds of tendencies can lead to an uncontrollable situation.

In the context of our reflections, it does not matter significantly whether the mechanism described by J. Huxley really works or not. Mechanisms of this kind, which give direction to human evolutionary changes, can act effectively, and their genesis can be diverse - from natural conditions to civilized factors. In terms of J. Huxley's reasoning, it is necessary to establish why intellectually developed people have few children: because they are less fertile (intellectuality genes are correlated with low fertility) or deliberately limit childbearing due to subjective and objective reasons. Conducted studies have shown that the degradation of the intelligence of the human race is not associated with a biological factor. However, the problem itself - the possibility of the emergence of hereditary traits harmful to the Homo sapiens species under the influence of social causes - remains.