Ambiguous and Ambivalent Commonly Confused Words

The adjectives ambiguous and ambivalent both involve a degree of uncertainty, but the two words are not interchangeable. Definitions The adjective ambiguous means doubtful or unclear, open to more than one interpretation. The adjective ambivalent means holding opposing attitudes or feelings toward a person, object, or idea. Examples Jim ParsonsHold on. Bimonthly is an ambiguous term. Do you mean every other month or twice a month?David CarrollEven if we only briefly consider multiple meanings of ambiguous words, it is somewhat puzzling that we do it at all. After all, in most contexts only one of a words meanings is relevant.Vernon A. WaltersAmericans have always had an ambivalent attitude toward intelligence. When they feel threatened, they want a lot of it, and when they dont, they regard the whole thing as somewhat immoral.Aeon J. Skoble​Thematically, film noir is typically said to be characterized by moral ambiguity: murky distinctions between good guys and bad guys, ambivalence about right and wrong, conflicts between law and morality, unsettling inversion of values, and so on.Winona Ryder and Vanessa Redgrave​Susanna: Im ambivalent. In fact, thats my new favorite word.Dr. Wick: Do you know what that means, ambivalence?Susanna: I dont care.Dr. Wick: If its your favorite word, I wouldve thought you would.Susanna: It means I dont care. Thats what it means.Dr. Wick: On the contrary, Susanna. Ambivalence suggests strong feelings . . . in opposition. The prefix, as in ambidextrous, means both. The rest of it, in Latin, means vigor. The word suggests that you are torn . . . between two opposing courses of action.Susanna: Will I stay or will I go?Dr. Wick: Am I sane . . . or, am I crazy?Susanna: Those arent courses of action.Dr. Wick: They can be, dear--for some.Susanna: Well, then--its the wrong word.Dr. Wick: No. I think its perfect.

John Locke s Two Treatises Of Government - 1345 Words

Name: Rohan Trivedi Course: POLS 101 Instructor: JC Boucher Date: 24 November 2016 Assignment John Locke’s Two Treatises Of Government Most scholarship that links John Locke’s ideas with eighteenth- century representations of childhood approaches children as Lockean pedagogic subjects ready for moral and intellectual education. My essay instead brings to bear on representation of children Locke the political thinker, who articulates in Two Treatises of Government (1689) a person’s right to â€Å"liberty and property.† Locke’s influential theories of ownership are partly responsible for the eighteenth-century investment in distinguishing between property and persons, and often reduce children to a state of compromised personhood. The numerous children who lurk are densely textured narrative worlds are evidence of a cultural sidelining of the child in new models of selfhood based on property rights. The child is persistently framed as a problematic economic entity. Such reduction of children to a bare economic function is of a piece with emergent notions of Lockean Man as a bearer of fundam ental property rights. The many children born are consistently marginalized, pointing to their complex narrative function in stories about protagonists who are intent on property accumulation. In Two Treatises, Locke’s conception of the individual— assumed to be male—as born free and capable of ownership is meant to dispute Robert Filmers Patriarcha, which justifiesShow MoreRelatedThe Enlightenment Theory Of John Locke1627 Words   |  7 PagesEnlightenment theory philosophies of John Locke offered a future that could drastically change government, economic and social ideals. Thomas Jefferson borrowed liberally from the enlightenment theory from John Locke, specifically focusing on Locks theories of the equality of men, natural rights, and that people should have a say on how the government treated people. 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The Leviathan, Two Treatises, and the Declaration of Independence serve as underpinnings of the Read MoreA Thesis Statement : Monarchy And Democracy1476 Words   |  6 Pagesperspectives of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, one can see that democracy creates the most beneficial outcome. Today, many people associate the ideals Locke adopts with democracy. Although, in Locke’s book, Second Treatise of Government, he did not solely focus on democracy. He listed many types of government, not favoring any. He believed that as long as they adhere to his rules, they remain valid. As a result of looking through Thomas Hobbes’ view on monarchy and John Locke’s view on democracy,Read MoreMonarchy Vs. Democracy By Thomas Hobbes And John Locke1655 Words   |  7 Pages Monarchy vs Democracy Through assessing both monarchy and democracy from both perspectives of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, one can see that democracy creates the most beneficial outcome. Hobbes had a pessimistic view of people. He believed humans were selfish, doing anything to further their own position in life. Hobbes believed in an absolute monarchy, a government that gave all the power to a king or queen. Even though he distrusted democracy, he believed that a diverse group of representativesRead MoreJohn Locke And Thomas Hobbes886 Words   |  4 PagesBy comparing the two readings assigned one can discuss the differences in political theories expressed by both John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. In, Leviathan, by Thomas Hobbes, and in, The Second Treatise of Government, by John Locke different theories of political legitimacy and definitions of the state of nature are described. The following paragraphs analyze multiple different points that are imperative to understanding these political theories. In the reading, Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes discusses

Utility Analysis Free Essays

During the first three decades of the 20th century, there were many great leaders in the area of Industrial and Organizational Psychology whose contributions have been largely documented in historical records. Leaders are not born they are made, and true leader leads by example. Sometimes people influence the way we live our lives. We will write a custom essay sample on Utility Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now This could be a pastor, teacher, friend or manager. In any event, leaders must take the extra step and reach out to others. In order to be effective, a leader must be able to initiate and develop his or her alliances in the quest for achieving common goals and objectives (Bills, 1925). Thus, leaders have the ability to influence, guide, direct and control the behavior of others while leading with dignity and respect. Dr. Bills’ studies, exemplified characteristics of true leadership. She became a legendary figure in a scientific research to understand and resolve personnel issues within organizations (Koppes, 2007). In one case study, Dr. Marion A. Bills illustrated important duties for managerial position and how essential they are to the success of the organization. MARGINAL UTILITY ANALYSIS AND HRM VALUE Marginal utility is an economic concept that is used in determining the additional satisfaction that one obtains as he consumes additional amount of a particular commodity (Samuelson and Nordhaus, 2001). As applied to the management of human resources, it may be equivalent to the additional product that an employee can contribute to the attainment of organizational goals and objectives. The additional product that an employee can contribute to the company or the additional value that it could provide will be the basis of determining the compensation or the pay that must be given to him. The concept of marginal utility may then be used by a human resource manager in wage and salary administration particularly in determining the salary for a new worker. The management must determine what the new employee is capable of contributing to the value of the company by analyzing his qualifications as to knowledge, skills, and abilities. The salary that would be given must at least be equal to the marginal product to ensure that hiring the employee would add value to the firm. If the salary that would be paid is higher than his marginal product (may be equivalent to marginal utility), hiring him would not do good for the company or would not add to its value. REFERENCE: Samuelson, Paul A. and Nordhaus, William D. (2001). Economics. McGraw- Hill Companies, Inc. How to cite Utility Analysis, Essay examples

A Comparison between Asexual and Sexual Reproduction Essay Example For Students

A Comparison between Asexual and Sexual Reproduction Essay Reproduction Research Assignment Sac 5 PART 1 : Asexual vs. Sexual Reproduction Discuss the differences between, and the advantages and disadvantages of sexual and asexual reproduction : SEXUAL REPRODUCTION Sexual Reproduction is the formation of a new organism from two parents usually, and involves the joining of gametes to form a single cell called a zygote . The offspring are similar, but not identical to the parents. Sexually Reproductive organisms include mammals, most reptiles, and flowering plants. ADVANTAGES There is greater genetic variation of the offspring and therefore, greater chance of survival in changing environments. Asexual Reproduction is the process by which a single organism produces a new organism identical to itself. An asexually reproducing organism does not require a partner to produce offspring. It is a process that requires no fusion of gametes whatsoever. Asexually Reproductive organisms include bacteria, nonflowering plants and some reptiles. DISADVANTAGES Some disadvantages of sexual reproduction are the facts that it requires 2 parents, so if one species dies out, they can no longer reproduce. Sexual reproduction also poses risks of mutations and hereditary diseases. Sexual reproduction is also not as rapid as asexual reproduction. Energy is also expended in finding a mate in many organisms. However some organisms have both male and female reproductive organs that are able to produce gametes simultaneously. ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION Asexual reproduction is the formation of a new organism when there is the presence of a single parent and no joining gametes . The offspring has identical genes and chromosomes to the parent. ADVANTAGES No energy is expended in finding a mate. here is a high chance of survival of the offspring, if the offspring remains near the parent in a stable environment. DISADVANTAGES Less genetic diversity gives the offspring a lesser chance of survival if the environment changes. Discuss the relevance of mitosis and meiosis to sexual and asexual reproduction ; Mitosis is the asexual form of reproduction, Meiosis being the sexual form. Mitosis involved replic ating the Chromosomes of the cell and placing the exact replicas in the daughter cells, resulting in 2 cells. This is asexual reproduction because the cells are exactly the same. Meiosis involved replication of the chromosomes, random mixing of them and division into 2 cells, duplication and random mixing again and then division into two more cells resulting in 4 cells. This is sexual reproduction because the cells are not exactly the same. Include examples of the different types of asexual reproduction ; 1. Binary Fission occurs when a cell simply grows larger, replicates its DNA in genes and chromosomes, and then forms a cell membrane down the midsection of the cell to form two new â€Å" daughter† cells. 2. Budding occurs when a small part of the parent’s body separates from the rest of the rest and develops into a new individual, eventually either becoming an independent organism or part of an attached colony. 3. Spore Formation occurs where special cells with resistant coverings form. These coverings are resistant to unfavourable environmental conditions such as heat or dryness. 4. Fragmentation occurs when a parent body is broken into pieces and each piece may form a new individual. . Regeneration occurs when part of an organism grows to form other organisms that are often still connected to the original organism. Examples of regeneration in plants are the vegetative propagation of runners, of grasses, strawberries, rhizomes in ferns, tubers in potatoes and growing plants from cuttings. 6. Parthenogenesis occurs when a new organism develops from an unfertilised egg. For example, in honeybees, the female or queen is inseminated only once in her lifetime. The sperm she receives is stored in a little pouch connected to the genital tract and closed off by a muscular valve. Whether or not she chooses to release the sperm to fertilise her eggs, and create female bees is her choice. Otherwise, only male drones are hatched. PART 2 : Structure And Function This section must include 3 labelled diagrams of the human male reproductive system, female reproductive system and the reproductive system of a flower. PARTS OF THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM TESTIS There are two testes situated in a sac called the scrotum. Due to the testes needing an optimum temperature for sperm production, the sac is located outside the body. This is because the core body temperature is far too warm to keep producing healthy sperm. EPIDIDYMIS This stores the large numbers of sperm until they are ejaculated out through the penis. In these two ducts, sperm complete their maturation. SPERM DUCT/VAS DEFERENS – The sperm duct, or vas deferens transport sperm from the testes to the urethra. SEMEN-PRODUCING GLANDS Semen is the fluid produced to protect the sperm from dehydration and the acidic environment of the female vagina after sexual intercourse. Semen allows the sperm to swim more easily. URETHRA This is the tube that normally carries urine from the urinary bladder. When semen containing sperm is ejaculated, it also travels out through the urethra, but the prostate gland enlarges to block of any urine in the urinary bladder at this time. PENIS The urethra is the tube inside the penis. During sexual intercourse, the spongy cells that surround the urethra fill with blood and the penis becomes firm and erect. The Path That Sperm Travel Testes Epididymis Vas Deferens Urethra PARTS OF THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM OVARY There are two ovaries. The ovary produces eggs or ova, female sex hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and the secondary sexual characteristics, At birth, females have all their eggs formed, but in an immature state. After puberty, and before menopause, one egg is released about every 28 days from each ovary. OVIDUCT/FALLOPIAN TUBE This connects between the ovary and the uterus. It is also the place where conception or fertilisation of an egg by a sperm occurs. UTERUS/WOMB The uterus is a strong muscular and elastic organ where an unborn baby develops. After an egg is released from the ovary, a blood-filled lining develops on the walls of the uterus in preparation for the nourishment of the unborn baby. If no fertilisation of the egg occurs, then this lining passes out through the vagina over seven days as ‘periods’ or menstruation. CERVIX This is the opening between the uterus and the vagina. During pregnancy, a mucous plug forms across the cervix separating the uterus from the outside to prevent infection of the unborn baby. This plug falls out and the cervix dilates before the birth of a baby. VAGINA This is a place where the penis is inserted during sexual intercourse. It is an elastic and muscular organ that expands during birth to allow for the passage of the baby. The Path The Egg Travels Ovary Oviduct/Fallopian Tube Uterus/Womb Cervix Vagina REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM OF A FLOWER STIGMA The receptive part of the carpel. Pollen grains will germinate onl if they land here STYLE The structure that supports the stigma OVARY The base of the carpel where the ovules develop. ANTHER – Top portion of the Stamen, the male organ of reproduction. FILAMENT The slender stalk of the stamen that supports the anther. STAMEN – Anther filament CARPEL – stigma style ovary ovule Part 3 : Fertilisation Compare in detail the processes of fertilisation in humans and plants. Flowering Plants After the carpel is pollinated, the pollen grain germinates in a response to a sugary fluid secreted by the mature stigma . From each pollen grain, a pollen tube grows out and attempts to travel to the ovary by creating a path through the female tissue. The vegetative and generative nuclei of the pollen grain pass into its respective pollen tube. After the pollen grain sticks to the stigma of the carpel a pollen tube grows and penetrates the ovule through a tiny pore called a micropyle. The pollen tube does not directly reach the ovary in a straight line. It travels near the skin of the style and curls to the bottom of the ovary, then near the receptacle, it breaks through the ovule through the micropyle and the pollen tube bursts into the embryo sac. After being fertilized, the ovary starts to swell and will develop into the fruit. With multi-seeded fruits, multiple grains of pollen are necessary for syngamy with each ovule. The growth of the pollen tube is controlled by the vegetative cytoplasm. Hydrolytic enzymes are secreted by the pollen tubes that digest the female tissue as the tube grows down the stigma and style; the digested tissue is used as a nutrient source for the pollen tube as it grows. During pollen tube growth toward the ovary, the generative nucleus divides to produce two separate sperm nuclei a growing pollen tube therefore contains three separate nuclei, two sperm and one tube. The sperms are interconnected and dimorphic, the large one, in a number of plants, is also linked to the tube nucleus and the interconnected sperm and tube nucleuses form the male germ unit. Double fertilization is the process in angiosperms in which two sperm nuclei from each pollen tube fertilize two cells in an ovary. After the pollen tube reaches the ovary the pollen tube nucleus disintegrates and the two sperm cells are released into the ovary; one of the two sperm cells fertilizes the egg cell , forming a diploid zygote. This is the point when fertilization actually occurs. Note that pollination and fertilization are two separate processes. The other sperm cell fuses with two haploid polar nuclei in the centre of the embryo sac . The resulting cell is triploid. This triploid cell divides through mitosis and forms the endosperm, a nutrient-rich tissue, inside the seed. Double fertilization occurs only in angiosperm plants. One primitive species of flowering plant, Nuphar polysepala, has endosperm that is diploid, resulting from the fusion of a pollen nucleus with one, rather than two, maternal nuclei. It is believed that early in the development of angiosperm lineages, there was duplication in this mode of reproduction, producing seven-celled/eight-nucleate female gametophytes, and triploid endosperms with a 2:1 maternal to paternal genome ratio. In many plants, the development of the flesh of the fruit is proportional to the percentage of fertilized ovules. For example, with watermelon, about a thousand grains of pollen must be delivered and spread evenly on the three lobes of the stigma to make a normal sized and shaped fruit. embryo and its surrounding membranes. The term conception is not usually used in scientific literature because of its variable definition and connotation. Mammals Usually mammals rely on internal fertilization through copulation. After a male ejaculates, a large number of sperm cells move to the upper vagina through the cervix and across the length of the uterus toward the ovum. The capacitated spermatozoon and the oocyte meet and interact in the middle of the fallopian tube. It is probable that chemotaxis is involved in guiding the sperm to the egg, but the mechanism has yet to be worked out. Fusion between the oocyte plasma membranes and sperm follows, allowing the entry of the sperm nucleus, centriole and flagellum, but not the mitochondria, into the oocyte. The egg activates itself upon fusing with a single sperm cell, thereby changing its cell membrane to prevent fusion with other sperm. This process ultimately leads to the formation of a diploid cell called a zygote. The zygote begins to divide and form a blastocyst and when it reaches the uterus, it performs implantation in the endometrium. At this point the females pregnancy has begun. If the embryo implants in any tissue other than the uterine wall, an ectopic pregnancy results, which can be fatal to the mother. PART 4 – Embryo Development ; Nutrition Compare embryo nutrition in humans and in plants. In plants, the seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant. The formation of the seed completes the process of reproduction in seed plants , with the embryo developed f rom the zygote and the seed coat from the integuments of the ovule. In humans, nutrition is quite different. The Necklace EssayDuring zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT), oocytes are retrieved similar to IVF and GIFT and they are allowed to fertilize in vitro in the laboratory as in IVF. A day after fertilization (2 cell stage), 3-4 embryos are transferred via laparoscopy into one of the fallopian tubes. If the embryos are allowed to develop to greater than a 2-cell stage, the procedure is termed tubal embryo transfer (TET). The only benefit to a ZIFT or TET versus the more traditional IVF is for women who are thought to have compromised embryo quality due to embryo in vitro culture. Placing these zygotes or embryos back into their own natural incubators is thought to enhance subsequent development with improved pregnancy rates. With the development of enhanced culture media, the success rates for IVF are now comparable, if not better, to those of GIFT and ZIFT, and IVF is less invasive than GIFT and ZIFT. Interpreting IVF success rates Comparing one programs success rate to another is difficult because of all the variables involved, including the programs selection criteria, patient demographics, and insurance coverage. In general, like any statistical analysis, the more IVF cycles a program has performed, the more valid the numbers are. The cancellation rate is a critical number. If the rate is high, the program is possibly very selective for the patients it allows to proceed to egg retrieval. This type of program would rather cancel the patients procedure than have a low chance for success. The implantation rate refers to the pregnancy rate divided by the number of embryos transferred. If the implantation rate is low and the pregnancy rate is high, this suggests that the program is transferring a large number of embryos per patient to achieve that success. Chances are good that the programs multiple pregnancy (eg, twins, triplets, and higher order multiples) rate is high. Optimally, the better programs have a low cancellation rates, good pregnancy and implantation rates, and high singleton pregnancy rates compared with multiple pregnancy rates. The ultimate critical number is the birth rate because this represents the final goal of the patient and the physician. This goal is also less vulnerable to misinterpretation than the pregnancy rate (single positive HCG vs serial increases) or the clinical pregnancy rate (gestational sac vs fetal pole vs fetal pole with heartbeat). IVF outcomes 2005 data for IVF outcomes are summarized and results can be viewed on the CDC and Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Web sites. Outcomes are stratified based on cycle type (fresh IVF, frozen embryo IVF, donor IVF, and maternal age). Overall, 134,260 ART cycles were performed in the United States in 2005 resulting in 38,910 live birth deliveries. For reference, in 996, 14,507  deliveries resulted from 64,681 ART cycles. Because more than 1  infant is born during a live-birth delivery (eg, twins) in some cases, the total number of infants born is larger than the number of live-births. From 1996-2005, the percentage of transfers resulting in live births for fresh–nondonor cycles increased from 28% in 1996 to 34% in 2005. ARTICLE TWO Some pare nts would love the chance to decide, while others wouldn’t dream of meddling with nature. The medical world is also divided. Professional groups say sex selection is allowable in certain situations, but differ as to which ones. Meanwhile, it’s not illegal, and some doctors are already cashing in on the demand. There are several ways to pick a baby’s sex before a woman becomes pregnant, or at least to shift the odds. Most of the procedures were originally developed to treat infertility or prevent genetic diseases. The most reliable method is not easy or cheap. It requires in vitro fertilization, in which doctors prescribe drugs to stimulate the mother’s ovaries, perform surgery to collect her eggs, fertilize them in the laboratory and then insert the embryos into her uterus. Before the embryos are placed in the womb, some doctors will test for sex and, if there are enough embryos, let the parents decide whether to insert exclusively male or female ones. Pregnancy is not guaranteed, and the combined procedures can cost $20,000 or more, often not covered by insurance. Many doctors refuse to perform these invasive procedures just for sex selection, and some people are troubled by what eventually becomes of the embryos of the unwanted sex, which may be frozen or discarded. Another method, used before the eggs are fertilized, involves sorting sperm, because it is the sperm and not the egg that determines a baby’s sex. Semen normally has equal numbers of male- and female-producing sperm cells, but a technology called MicroSort can shift the ratio to either 88 percent female or 73 percent male. The â€Å"enriched† specimen can then be used for insemination or in vitro fertilization. It can cost $4,000 to $6,000, not including in vitro fertilization. MicroSort is still experimental and available only as part of a study being done to apply for approval from the Food and Drug Administration. The technology was originally developed by the Agriculture Department for use in farm animals, and it was adapted for people by scientists at the Genetics and IVF Institute, a fertility clinic in Virginia. The technique has been used in more than 1,000 pregnancies, with more than 900 births so far, a spokesman for the clinic said. As of January 2006 (the most recent figures released), the success rate among parents who wanted girls was 91 percent, and for those who wanted boys, it was 76 percent. Regardless of the method, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists opposes sex selection except in people who carry a genetic disease that primarily affects one sex. But allowing sex selection just because the parents want it, with no medical reason, may support â€Å"sexist practices,† the college said in an opinion paper published this month in its journal, Obstetrics and Gynecology. Some people say sex selection is ethical if parents already have one or more boys and now want a girl, or vice versa. In that case, it’s â€Å"family balancing,† not sex discrimination. The MicroSort study accepts only people who have genetic disorders or request family balancing (they are asked for birth records), and a company spokesman said that even if the technique was approved, it would not be used for first babies. The obstetricians group doesn’t buy the family-balance argument, noting that some parents will say whatever they think the doctor wants to hear. The group also says that even if people are sincere about family balance, the very act of choosing a baby’s sex â€Å"may be interpreted as condoning sexist values. † Much of the worry about this issue derives from what has happened in China and India, where preferences for boys led to widespread aborting of female fetuses when ultrasound and other tests made it possible to identify them. China’s one-child policy is thought to have made matters worse. Last month, Chinese officials said that 118 boys were born for every 100 girls in 2005, and some reports have projected an excess of 30 million males in less than 15 years. The United Nations opposes sex selection for nonmedical reasons, and a number of countries have outlawed it, including Australia, Canada and Britain, and other nations in Asia, South America and Europe. Left unanswered is the question of whether societies, and families, that favor boys should just be allowed to have them, since attitudes are hard to change, and girls born into such environments may be abused. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a group for infertility doctors, takes a somewhat more relaxed view of sex selection than does the college of obstetricians. Instead of opposing sex selection outright, it says that in people who already need in vitro fertilization and want to test the embryos’ sex without a medical reason, the testing should â€Å"not be encouraged. † And those who don’t need in vitro fertilization but want it just for sex selection â€Å"should be discouraged,† the group says. But sperm sorting is another matter, the society says. It is noninvasive and does not involve discarding embryos of the â€Å"wrong† sex. The society concludes that â€Å"sex selection aimed at increasing gender variety in families may not so greatly increase the risk of harm to children, women or society that its use should be prohibited or condemned as unethical in all cases. † The group also says it may eventually be reasonable to use sperm sorting for a first or only child. Dr. Jamie Grifo, the program director of New York University’s Fertility Center, said that he opposed using embryo testing just for sex selection, but that it was reasonable to honor the request in patients who were already having embryos screened for medical reasons, had a child and wanted one of the opposite sex. In those cases, he said, the information is already available and doesn’t require an extra procedure. â€Å"It’s the patient’s information, their desire,† he said. â€Å"Who are we to decide, to play God? I’ve got news for you, it’s not going to change the gender balance in the world. We get a handful of requests per year, and we’re doing it. It’s always been a controversy, but I don’t think it’s a big problem. We should preserve the autonomy of patients to make these very personal decisions. † Dr. Jeffrey M. Steinberg, from Encino, Calif. , who has three clinics that offer sex selection and plans to open a fourth, in Manhattan, said: â€Å"We prefer to do it for family balancing, but we’ve never turned away someone who came in and said, ‘I want my first to be a boy or a girl. ’ If they all said a boy first, we’d probably shy away, but it’s 50-50. † â€Å"Reproductive choice, as far as I’m concerned, is a very personal issue,† Dr. Steinberg said. If it’s not going to hurt anyone, we go ahead and give them what they want. † Many patients come from other countries, he said. John A. Robertson, a professor of law and bioethics at the University of Texas, said: â€Å"The distinction between doing it for so-called family balancing or gender variety would be a useful line to draw at this stage of the debate, just as maybe a practice guideline, and let’s just see how it works out. † In the long run, Mr. Robertson said, he doubted that enough Americans would use genetic tests to skew the sex balance in the population, and he pointed out that so far, sperm sorting was more successful at roducing girls than boys. He concluded, â€Å"I think this will slowly get clarified, and people will see it’s not as big a deal as they think. † SUMMARY IVF is a shiny new way to conceive kids for those who have unexplained infertility. There are several ways to pick a baby’s sex before a woman becomes pregnant, or at least to shift the odds. Most of the procedures were originally developed to treat infertility or prevent genetic diseases. The most reliable method is not easy or cheap. It requires in vitro fertilization or IVF, in which doctors prescribe drugs to stimulate the mother’s ovaries, perform surgery to collect her eggs, fertilize them in the laboratory and then insert the embryos into her uterus. This method of fertilization has a more than reasonable success rate, with Information from 2005 shows that 134,260 assisted reproductive technique cycles were performed resulting in 38,910 live births. BIBLIOGRAPHY www. google. com www. wikipedia. com. au www. emedicine. medscape. com/article/263907-overview www. nytimes. com Nelson Biology VCE Units 1;2 Encyclopaedia Brittanica