The beginning of life

Code:

PDB004

Acronym:

PDB004

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Ethics in Health Sciences

Instance: 2024/2025 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences
Course/CS Responsible:	Doctoral Programme in Bioethics

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
PDB	30	Current Studies Plan	1	-	6	60	162

Teaching language

Portuguese and english

Objectives

The essential aim of the Curricular Unit The Beginning of Life is that the student acquires the necessary knowledge in ethical issues at the beginning of Human Life and Medically Assisted Procreation, namely in very specific areas. In the conceptual plan the aims are the acquisition and knowledge of the core concepts in this field.

Learning outcomes and competences

With this curricular unit the student must gather the necessary skills for understanding any area in Health Priorities. Moreover the student must be adequately prepared to make a regular update in these areas.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1- The origin of human life and the attempt to define the human being and the human person. Problems related to experiments on human embryos.

2- Ethical questions raised by prenatal diagnosis. Concept of severe handicap.

3- Introduction to the ethical questions raised by Medically Assisted Procreation (MAP).

4- Human embryo cloning using blastomer separation technique and somatic nuclear transfer. Its application with reproductive purposes and as a bank of cells and tissues for transplantation. The therapeutic potential of stem-cells.

5- Homologous insemination and insemination with a gamete donor. Post-mortem insemination.

6- The Human Genome Project. Ethical, legal and social issues raised by their analysis.

7- Predictive Medicine and pre-symptomatic diagnosis. Psychological action on the patient and his family.

Mandatory literature

1- Beauchamp, T. & Childress, J.; Principles of Biomedical Ethics, New York: Oxford University Press, 2013
2- Rachels, J.; The Elements of Moral Philosophy, New York: McGraw-Hill College, 2007
3- Henk Ten Have; Encyclopedia of Global Bioethics, Springer Publishers, 2015
4- Nunes, R.; Gene-Ética, Coimbra: Almedina, 2013

Teaching methods and learning activities

Teaching methodologies have different strategies: a) Theoretical Lectures b) Seminars c) Group Work: Pedagogical activity of analysis and problem solving, orientated by the professors and actively prepared by the students; and d) Presentation of Case-Problems by the students.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	50,00
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Frequência das aulas	60,00
Trabalho escrito	102,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

The Continuous Assessment is performed by the responsible professor for the group of students who attend the Curricular Unit. An assessment of the whole pedagogical process and of the evolution of each student's capacities is at stake: Evolution in the communication skills, evolution of the human relation, of the regular attendance in the Curricular Unit, of the interest and participation in the pedagogic process, and, finally, of the theoretical and practical knowledge. It is possible to make use of audio-visual techniques.

Calculation formula of final grade

The Final Assessment of the curricular unit is made by the Continuous Assessment (50%) and a Final Examination that evaluates the acquisition of theoretical and practical knowledge (50%).