ABSTRACT
Bioethics is a relatively new term that emerged during the second half of the 20th century to signify moral reflection and reasoning in the realm of the life sciences. With the unprecedented advances in biomedical technology many hitherto science fiction fantasies have been turned into real and readily available solutions. Examples include: life-sustaining technologies such as kidney dialysis, organ transplantation, and artificial ventilation; assisted reproductive methods such as artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, and surrogacy arrangements; cosmetic surgeries; and, most recently, genetic testing as well as genome mapping. As much as these technologies have enhanced human life in immeasurable ways, they have also raised serious ethical questions. Moreover, earlier precedents involving abuses of scientific research in Europe during the Second World War and subsequently in the United States called for clearer and tighter ethical guidelines for the conduct of biomedical research in order to avoid similar mistakes, which have seriously tarnished the image of scientific research and the reputation of the scientific community. Since biomedical research has the potential of causing irreversible damage to human subjects and even to human life on this planet, bioethics was initially envisioned as a science of survival to guard against inadvertent or adverse effects of irresponsible scientific experimentation. 1
