Body Parts: Property Rights and the Ownership of Human Biological Materials

By E. Richard Gold

http://books.google.com/books?id=YHne2bkHd9AC&dq=human+tissue++property+rights&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Georgetown University Press, Washington, D.C. 20007
Published in 1996

The body has value for everyone, whether it be because it is the physical form through which we act, a source of pride, a reflection of God, or a means through which we can express sharing. We also inherently value the DNA that we carry down from the generations. Human health is valuable, it is a state of being in which we suffer neither pain nor illness. It is also a state of being in which we can accomplish valuable tasks. Thus, the preservation of health becomes not only a task for one's self, but also for one's family and community. There is a fundamental difference between the way we value our bodies as a whole and the parts that make our body a whole. Scientists have found ways to transform our components through biotechnology. Since components are not generally found separate from the body in nature, people do not see the relation between the transformed and untransformed body parts. This difference leads to many not understanding how to value those parts after transformation. The transformation process may not only change the component itself but the ways in which we value it after transformation. Take an example of blood being transformed into blood plasma and into certain enzymes found within the blood. Blood is the symbol of life, even though the blood contains these enzymes and plasma, they are not seen as necessary components of life. We must find a way to bridge the gap between the way we see transformed and untransformed components.