Why the UK has voted to allow "three-parent babies"
(The Christian Science Monitor) Britain's House of Commons voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to legalize the creation of so-called "three-parent babies." Though advocates of the move say it will help prevent a debilitating and often lethal condition, many warn that the procedure, though well-intentioned, opens the door to ethical and safety questions that have yet to be sufficiently grappled with.
What condition are doctors trying to remedy?
The newly approved line of research is meant to address genetic defects found in the mitochondria of eggs and embryonic cells.
Mitochondria are structures, found within all human cells, that convert food into energy. They have their own genetic material, distinct from the DNA found in cellular nuclei, that is inherited solely from the biological mother.