Medical Care
From Gothpoodle
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
See also [[Biomod Transplants]]. | See also [[Biomod Transplants]]. | ||
| + | ==Reproductive Technology== | ||
| + | It’s possible to have kids the “old-fashioned” way, | ||
| + | although most people do a genetic assay to spot defects. | ||
| + | If any are encountered, they will genefix the fertilized | ||
| + | egg. Other options are: | ||
| + | |||
| + | *''Cloning:'' A common procedure, see below. | ||
| + | *''Exowombs:'' A baby need not be raised in a mother’s womb. An artificial womb, or exowomb, duplicates the maternal environment. This is still expensive, but common for Fifth Wave parents who want kids without pregnancy, or who lack the plumbing – men, infomorphs, etc. | ||
| + | *''DNA Blending:'' Two people of the same sex can combine genetic material through gengineering. This is costly ($5,000, 1 week) but not unusual. In the case of males, a female egg is used, but its nucleus is removed. The same process also allows parahumans to have children with members of different parahuman or human species. A more radical procedure, known as chimerization, can be used to mix early embryos of completely different species, but this is complex, expensive, and, if mixing human and animal embryos, generally illegal. | ||
| + | *''Surrogate Mothers:'' Fertilized eggs can be moved from one mother and (before or after genetic modification) implanted in another one. The procedure is usually simple and safe, dating back to the 20th century. Complications could ensue if the parent is using drugs, nanosymbionts, etc., or if the baby’s genetics differ significantly from the surrogate’s. In some areas, surrogate wages may be less than the cost of an exowomb, making them a cost-cutting alternative. However, surrogates are illegal in some countries, mostly on ethical grounds. | ||
| + | ==Cloning== | ||
| + | A clone is a genetic duplicate of a person. It normally | ||
| + | has a slightly different appearance, since many features | ||
| + | develop after conception (such as fingerprints). The GM | ||
| + | should decide which advantages and disadvantages reflect | ||
| + | heredity and which represent acquired characteristics. | ||
| + | |||
| + | A human or animal clone can be created by taking a | ||
| + | live tissue sample of a person, removing cells, and carefully | ||
| + | starving them until they become still living but quiescent. | ||
| + | The donor cells are then fused with an egg cell | ||
| + | taken from a female of the same species; the egg cell’s | ||
| + | own nucleus (with its DNA) is removed. This procedure | ||
| + | takes about 3 days and costs $500. Now awakened, the | ||
| + | egg cell, with donor nucleus, forms embryonic cells that | ||
| + | can be implanted after a week or so in the donor (if | ||
| + | female), or a surrogate mother or exowomb. It | ||
| + | then develops like any other embryo, becoming a fetus | ||
| + | and then a baby. Clones do not grow unusually fast or | ||
| + | share an original’s memory. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ''Cross-Sex Clones:'' Chromosome manipulation can | ||
| + | change a clone’s sex but keep it otherwise identical. This | ||
| + | takes 1 week and costs $10,000 for a male-to-female | ||
| + | change, or 3 weeks and $35,000 for female-to-male | ||
| + | change. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ''Clones and the Law:'' Human clones have full civil | ||
| + | rights; it is usually legal to clone oneself, but cloning | ||
| + | another requires his permission (or that of his estate). | ||
| + | Rights of parents to clone their children vary. Genetic | ||
| + | upgrades, parahumans, bioroids, and sapient uplifts may | ||
| + | have copyrighted genomes. | ||
| + | ===Exowomb=== | ||
| + | An artificial womb tank that can be used to grow a | ||
| + | multicellular animal (such as a human) from gametes to | ||
| + | healthy adulthood. This is no faster than natural growth. | ||
| + | An organism developing in an exowomb has the same | ||
| + | awareness as a baby in its womb. If kept past the fetal | ||
| + | stage, it will not develop mentally in the absence of stimuli. | ||
| + | An exowomb requires a computer to | ||
| + | monitor life support. A womb for a human-sized organism | ||
| + | is $100,000, 250 lbs., 50 cf. It runs on building or | ||
| + | vehicle power (0.1 kW). Renting an exowomb costs | ||
| + | $3,000 per month. | ||
Revision as of 17:30, 30 July 2012
Contents |
Limb and Organ Replacement
Transplants are tissue-engineered rather than provided by donors. It takes 6 weeks to custom-grow tissue using tissue-engineering techniques, or a week to do the same using biogenesis. Typical cost to grow a single limb, eye, or organ is $5,000 (doubled for biogenesis). The actual transplant operation might cost another $10,000 per part replaced. With limb transplants, full functionality is not attained for 6 weeks following the operation.
See also Biomod Transplants.
Reproductive Technology
It’s possible to have kids the “old-fashioned” way, although most people do a genetic assay to spot defects. If any are encountered, they will genefix the fertilized egg. Other options are:
- Cloning: A common procedure, see below.
- Exowombs: A baby need not be raised in a mother’s womb. An artificial womb, or exowomb, duplicates the maternal environment. This is still expensive, but common for Fifth Wave parents who want kids without pregnancy, or who lack the plumbing – men, infomorphs, etc.
- DNA Blending: Two people of the same sex can combine genetic material through gengineering. This is costly ($5,000, 1 week) but not unusual. In the case of males, a female egg is used, but its nucleus is removed. The same process also allows parahumans to have children with members of different parahuman or human species. A more radical procedure, known as chimerization, can be used to mix early embryos of completely different species, but this is complex, expensive, and, if mixing human and animal embryos, generally illegal.
- Surrogate Mothers: Fertilized eggs can be moved from one mother and (before or after genetic modification) implanted in another one. The procedure is usually simple and safe, dating back to the 20th century. Complications could ensue if the parent is using drugs, nanosymbionts, etc., or if the baby’s genetics differ significantly from the surrogate’s. In some areas, surrogate wages may be less than the cost of an exowomb, making them a cost-cutting alternative. However, surrogates are illegal in some countries, mostly on ethical grounds.
Cloning
A clone is a genetic duplicate of a person. It normally has a slightly different appearance, since many features develop after conception (such as fingerprints). The GM should decide which advantages and disadvantages reflect heredity and which represent acquired characteristics.
A human or animal clone can be created by taking a live tissue sample of a person, removing cells, and carefully starving them until they become still living but quiescent. The donor cells are then fused with an egg cell taken from a female of the same species; the egg cell’s own nucleus (with its DNA) is removed. This procedure takes about 3 days and costs $500. Now awakened, the egg cell, with donor nucleus, forms embryonic cells that can be implanted after a week or so in the donor (if female), or a surrogate mother or exowomb. It then develops like any other embryo, becoming a fetus and then a baby. Clones do not grow unusually fast or share an original’s memory.
Cross-Sex Clones: Chromosome manipulation can change a clone’s sex but keep it otherwise identical. This takes 1 week and costs $10,000 for a male-to-female change, or 3 weeks and $35,000 for female-to-male change.
Clones and the Law: Human clones have full civil rights; it is usually legal to clone oneself, but cloning another requires his permission (or that of his estate). Rights of parents to clone their children vary. Genetic upgrades, parahumans, bioroids, and sapient uplifts may have copyrighted genomes.
Exowomb
An artificial womb tank that can be used to grow a multicellular animal (such as a human) from gametes to healthy adulthood. This is no faster than natural growth. An organism developing in an exowomb has the same awareness as a baby in its womb. If kept past the fetal stage, it will not develop mentally in the absence of stimuli. An exowomb requires a computer to monitor life support. A womb for a human-sized organism is $100,000, 250 lbs., 50 cf. It runs on building or vehicle power (0.1 kW). Renting an exowomb costs $3,000 per month.
