You are here:  Home > What is Bioethics?
University of Bristol
Wellcome Trust
Recommended by:
Society of Biology
PEEP for Physics & Ethics at GCSE
 

What is bioethics?

  • Ethics, sometimes called moral philosophy, is concerned with how we should decide what is right and what is wrong.
  • Biology, the science of life, is concerned with the normal structure and function of living things at various levels of organisation.
  • Biomedical science usually incorporates biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology and medicine (human and veterinary).
  • Biological/Biomedical sciences + Ethics = BIOETHICS

Question:  Think of some examples of decisions we must make, based on what we think is right or wrong, about:

  • the biosphere
  • ecosystems
  • habitats
  • organisms  
  • organs
  • tissues
  • cells
  • subcellular structures down
    to the molecular level 

These are bioethical issues, and this website is dedicated to learning about them through individual critical thinking and discussion with others.

Next: Ethics Toolkit 
IN THIS SECTION

ETHICS TOOLKIT
A collection of spanner


Science is full of
controversy

Prof Kathy Sykes
University of Bristol
Clip length: 1m 20s   
If you can see this button ,
click it to watch full screen.