Which field governs ethical issues in biological sciences and technology?

• A. Clinical Ethics
• B. Bioethics
• C. Metaethics
• D. Research ethics

Answer: (B)

Bioethics is the field that governs ethical issues in biological sciences and technology. It brings together questions from biology, medicine, genetics, and biotechnology to examine how new discoveries and tools should be used, balancing potential benefits with risks, rights, and societal impact. This umbrella discipline covers topics like informed consent, privacy of genetic information, equitable access to therapies, animal welfare, environmental effects, and responsible innovation. For example, gene editing and cloning raise debates about safety, long-term consequences, and who gets to decide what ends up being used. Clinical ethics focuses on decisions in patient care, while research ethics centers on how studies are conducted and reported; metaethics deals with the nature of moral language and justification. Those distinctions show why bioethics is the appropriate field for governing ethical issues across biological sciences and technology.