Ever since humanity has walked the Earth, there have always been obstacles in its path; things that scientists have spent centuries trying to understand. Finding the key to why someone has a predisposition to cancer, Alzheimer's, heart problems or even skin conditions like psoriasis lies in their genetic makeup. Many remain secretive on the topic and insist that the risk of genetic testing is not worth it, even though there is plenty of evidence to the contrary. The debate about the benefits of genetic research and what it can do to help humanity has been supported with the help of extensive scientific testing, anonymous polls, and rulings from our own federal government. People are hesitant about genetic research for several reasons; most of them centered on the invasion of their privacy and the negative effects it could have on their lives if the information was displayed publicly. There is also the thorny question of ownership when it comes to genetic material; does it belong to the patient being tested or to the scientists who find out what is being tested in the first place? While steps have been taken through the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act to prevent access to a patient's information without their permission, there is still no law that allows someone to patent a patient's genetic material. a human being. body. (“21st-Century Genetics.” The New Genetics, 2010) Considering a commonly known example, the Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague, remains one of the worst cases of human fatalities due to disease. The people of the 14th century had very little knowledge of the inner workings of the human body and therefore wrote with chalk......half of paper......girl; let kids know what problems our scientists and doctors are facing, what avenues they are exploring to solve them, and how they are trying to do so. Genetic research is a wonderful scientific advance; one who takes new steps every day and who people need to recognize and embrace. Works Cited Kerath, S. M., Klein, G., Kern, M., Shapira, I., Witthuhn, J., Norohna, N., .. Taioli, E. (2013). Beliefs and attitudes toward participation in genetic research. BMC Public Health, 13(1), p1-9.Li, J, Zhen, T., Tsai, S.Y., & Jia, X. (2013). Epidermal stem cells in orthopedic regenerative medicine. International Journal of Molecular Science, 14(6), p.11626-11642. National Institute of General Medical Sciences. (2010). “Genetics of the 21st Century.” The new genetics, page. 74-83. Retrieved from http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/thenewgenetics/chapter5.html