bioethics

[ bahy-oh-eth-iks ]

noun

, (used with a singular verb)

1. a field of study concerned with the ethics ethics and philosophical implications of certain biological and medical procedures, technologies, and treatments, as organ transplants, genetic engineering, and care of the terminally ill.

bioethics

/ ˌbaɪəʊˈɛθɪks; ˌbaɪəʊˈɛθɪsɪst /

noun

1. functioning as singular the study of ethical problems arising from biological research and its applications in such fields as organ transplantation, genetic engineering, or artificial insemination

bioethics

/ bī′ō-ĕth′ĭks /

1. The study of the ethical and moral implications of medical research and practice.

bioethics

1. The application of ethics to the science and practice of biology , especially as modern science is applied to human life and reproduction.

Notes

With the advent of cloning and research on embryonic stem cells , bioethics has become an important branch of scientific inquiry.

Derived Forms

• ˌbioˈethical, adjective
• bioethicist, noun

Other Words From

• bio·ethi·cal adjective
• bi·o·eth·i·cist [bahy-oh-, eth, -, uh, -sist], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bioethics¹

First recorded in 1970–75; bio- + ethics

Example Sentences

Without the assurance of confidentiality, a president might well decide he’s better off steering clear of doctors altogether, said George Annas, a professor of health law, bioethics and human rights at Boston University.

From Los Angeles Times

“We are constantly underestimating animals,” David Mellor, a retired professor of applied physiology and bioethics, told Salon from his home in New Zealand.

From Salon

I felt like I had a strong network of fellow travelers, colleagues in the medical school, and particularly in the bioethics center, who would feel the same way about it.

From Salon

Seema Mohapatra, a health law and bioethics expert at Southern Methodist University, told Salon, she is concerned about the renewed focus on the Comstock Act.

From Salon

It’s legal in most to use fetal tissue for research, said Alta Charo, an emeritus professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

From Seattle Times