Within the first few hours after conception a phenomenon takes place in the one-cell human embryo that has awed scientists and philosophers for more then a century. The genes of the mother, carried by the ovum, and the genes of the father, carried by the sperm pair up. At that moment, when the paring is completed, the genetic fate of the person-to-be is sealed. The sex, color of eyes and hair, the height, blood type fingerprints, shoe size- indeed all physical and chemical characteristic are irrevocably determined, or are they?
             The concept of being able to look in on how genes were developing and alter how they turn out would of seemed like a science fiction novel in years past, but with modernistic advancements in genetic testing this concept has become a actuality. There have been momentous advancements in the area of genetics within the last twenty years, and the knowledge gained has at present been put to use in the medical community. There are various types of genetic testing available to expecting parents, some which are already commonplace.
             During the last two decades, prenatal screening for fetal defects has become a standard part of nearly every expecting woman's medical care.
             All parents desire to have healthy children and are taking advantage of any test that may assure that. According to a recent article in TIME magazine "As many as 9 out of 10 pregnant women in the U.S. submit to some prenatal screening. The most common form of prenatal testing is ultrasound imaging, which uses sound waves to produce a picture- or "sonogram" – of the fetus. Today more then 80 percent of all pregnant women in the United States receive a sonogram during their pregentancy" (52). Women deemed at "high risk" for giving birth to a child with chromosomal abnormalities are also offered amniocentesis, a prcedure in which a needle, guided by ultrasound, is inserted into the uterus and with...