‘Triple parent’ is a novel concept of creating embryos using DNA from three people. This technique can prevent passing of genetic diseases due to defects in mitochondria from a mother to her babies. This technique involves removing the nuclear DNA from a healthy female donor’s eggs and replacing it with the nuclear DNA of the prospective mother. After fertilization, the resulting child would inherit the mother’s nuclear DNA and the donor’s healthy mitochondrial DNA. If approved for use, the technique would allow a woman to give birth to a baby who would inherit the normal nuclear DNA but not the defective mitochondrial DNA.
(I) The concept of a triple parent involves:
(a) Three females and no requirement of male
(b) One male and two females in which the other parent (female donor) is not genetically involved
(c) One male and two females all contributing genetically
(d) One female and two females all contributing genetically
(II) Give below are few statements regarding triple parent technique. Mark them as true (T) or false (F), by identifying them as either correct or incorrect statements.
(a) This technique can also be useful for father with defective mitochondrial genes.
(b) This technique will not work for mother or father with defective nuclear genes.
(c) The child produced by the technique will contain some foreign genes from a third parent.
(d) The chance of transmission of foreign gene to the next generation (by normal reproduction involving two parents) will be almost zero if the triple parent technique generates a male.
(e) The offspring produced by the triple parent technique will be affected if the third parent has a genetic defect in the nuclear genes.
