Ngaba Imizila Yethu Yemfuza Imisela Oko Siya Kuba Kuko?
“SASIDLA ngokucinga ukuba ikamva lethu lixhomekeke ezinkwenkwezini. Ngoku siyazi, ngomlinganiselo omkhulu, ukuba ikamva lethu lixhomekeke kwimizila yethu yemfuza.” Watsho njalo uJames Watson, ocatshulwe ekuqaleni kwencwadi ethi Exploding the Gene Myth, ebhalwe nguRuth Hubbard noElijah Wald. Noko ke, ngokukhawuleza emva kokuba kucatshulwe uWatson, uR. C. Lewontin, uSteven Rose noLeon J. Kamin bacatshulwe besithi: “Asinakucinga ngawo nawuphi na umkhwa wabantu obalaseleyo owakhelwe kwimizila yethu yemfuza ngendlela yokuba ungaguqulwa ziimeko zasekuhlaleni.”
Iqweqwe laloo ncwadi lishwankathela ezinye zeziqulatho zayo yaye liqala ngombuzo obalulekileyo othi, “Ngaba imikhwa yabantu isuka kwimizila yemfuza?” Ngamanye amazwi, ngaba imikhwa yabantu ixhomekeke ngokupheleleyo kwimizila yemfuza edlulisela iimpawu zemfuza zeso sidalwa? Ngaba imikhwa ethile yokuziphatha okubi inokwamkeleka ngesizinzi sokuba zikwimizila yemfuza? Ngaba izaphuli-mthetho zinokugqalwa njengamaxhoba emizila yazo yemfuza, zithethelelwa ngelokuba ukungakhathali kwazo kwenziwa lutyekelo lwemfuza?
Alinakukhanyelwa elokuba izazinzulu ziye zafumanisa izinto ezininzi eziyingenelo kule nkulungwane. Phakathi kwezi zinto yiDNA ebangela umdla, ebizwa ngokuba lucwangciso lwethu lwemizila yemfuza. Inkcazelo ekwimizila yemfuza iye yabangela umdla kwizazinzulu nakubantu nje ngokufanayo. Yintoni ngokwenene eye yafunyaniswa kuphando ngemizila yemfuza? Izinto ezifunyanisiweyo zisetyenziswe njani ekuxhaseni imfundiso yale mihla yokuyilwa kusengaphambili okanye ukumiselwa kusengaphambili?
Kuthekani Ngokungathembeki Emtshatweni Nobufanasini?
Ngokutsho kwelinye inqaku elapapashwa yiThe Australian, bambi abaphandi ngemizila yemfuza bema ngelithi “kusenokwenzeka ukuba ukungathembeki kukwimizila yethu yemfuza. . . . Kubonakala ngathi sasimiselwe kwangaphambili ukuba singathembeki.” Khawucinge nje ngomonakalo onokwenziwa sisimo sengqondo esilolu hlobo emitshatweni nasezintsatsheni ngokuvulela ithuba kuye nabani na ofuna ukubonakalisa ukungakhathali ngokuphila ubomi bokuziphatha okubi!
Ngokuphathelele ubufanasini, iphephancwadi iNewsweek lalinomxholo oyintloko othi “Ngaba Buyinto Engokwemvelo Okanye Bubangelwa Yindlela Umntu Akhule Ngayo?” Eli nqaku lathi: “Izazinzulu noogqirha bezigulo zengqondo bazama ukuqonda uphando olutsha olubonisa ukuba ubufanasini busenokuba bukwimizila yemfuza, abuxhomekekanga kwindlela ubani akhuliswe ngayo. . . . Namafanasini amaninzi ayayamkela imbono yokuba ukuba lifanasini kuqala kwimisontwana yeeseli.”
Landula ke eli nqaku licaphule uGqr. Richard Pillard, owathi: “Ukuba utyekelo lukabani lwesini luxhomekeke kwimizila yemfuza oko kuthetha ukuba, ‘Akulotyala, ibe asilotyala lakho.’” Eyixhasa ngokubhekele phayaa le mbono “yokungabi natyala,” uFrederick Whitam, ophanda ngobufanasini, uthi “abantu banotyekelo lokuthoba izibilini xa bexelelwa ukuba ubufanasini buyinto umntu azalwa enayo. Amafanasini neentsapho zawo aziva ekhululekile etyaleni. Kwakhona kuthetha ukuba abantu akusayi kufuneka bazikhathaze ngezinto ezinjengabafundisi-ntsapho abangamafanasini.”
Maxa wambi, oko kubizwa ngokuba bubungqina bokuba utyekelo lobufanasini luxhomekeke kwimizila yemfuza kusasazwa ngamajelo eendaba njengento enesihlahla neqinisekileyo kunokuba ichazwe njengento enokwenzeka nekungekafikelelwa kwisigqibo ngayo.
Iphephancwadi iNew Statesman & Society libugalel’ amanzi ubuciko obusetyenzisiweyo ekuchazeni oku lisithi: “Umfundi odidekileyo usenokuba uye wakubetha ngoyaba ukungabikho kobungqina obubambekayo—okanye, eneneni, ukungabikho ngokupheleleyo kwesiseko esicacileyo esingokwenzululwazi sokuba ukuziphatha kakubi ‘kuyilwe kwimizila yemfuza yendoda yaye kucwangciswe kwingqondo yayo.’” Kwincwadi yabo ethi Cracking the Code, uDavid Suzuki noJoseph Levine bongezelela inkxalabo yabo ngophando lwakutshanje lwemizila yemfuza besithi: “Ngoxa ubani enokuyimela into yokuba imizila yemfuza iphembelela indlela yokwenza izinto ngendlela eqhelekileyo, ngomnye umbandela ukubonisa ukuba umzila wemfuza othile—imizila yemfuza efanayo, okanye kwanemizila yemfuza emininzi—ngokwenene ilawula iinkcukacha ezithile zendlela isilwanyana esisabela ngayo kwindawo esihlala kuyo. Kule nkalo, kufanelekile ukubuza enoba ukho umntu oye wasebenzisa indlela engqongqo yeemolekyuli yokukhangela nokuguqula, waza wafumana nayiphi na iminxeba yeDNA echaphazela imikhwa ethile yabantu.”
Imizila Yemfuza Yokukhotyokiswa Butywala Nokuba Sisaphuli-mthetho
Uhlolisiso olungokukhotyokiswa butywala luye lwabangela umdla kubaphengululi abaninzi abaphanda ngemizila yemfuza ukutyhubela iminyaka. Bambi bema ngelithi uhlolisiso luye lwabonisa ukuba ukubakho okanye ukungabikho kwemizila yemfuza ethile kuko okubangela ubani ukuba akhotyokiswe butywala. Ngokomzekelo, iThe New England Journal of Medicine ngowe-1988 yanikela ingxelo yokuba “ebudeni beshumi leminyaka edluleyo, uphando oluye lwenziwa izihlandlo ezithathu ngokwahlukeneyo luye lwavelisa ubungqina obugqibeleleyo bokuba ukukhotyokiswa butywala ngumkhwa ubani awuzuz’ ilifa.”
Noko ke, sithetha nje zimbi iingcali ngokuphathelele ukukhotyokiswa zicel’ umngeni imbono yokuba ukukhotyokiswa butywala kuphenjelelwa kakhulu yimeko engokwebhayoloji. Ingxelo ekwiThe Boston Globe ka-Aprili 9, 1996, yathi: “Akubonakali ngathi iya kuze ifunyanwe imizila yemfuza ebangela ukukhotyokiswa butywala, yaye bambi abaphengululi bayaqonda ukuba eyona baya kuyifumana bubuthathaka obukwimizila yemfuza obubangela abanye abantu basele ngokugqith’ emgceni banganxili—umkhwa onokubenza batyekele ekukhotyokisweni butywala.”
IThe New York Times yanikela ingxelo ngenkomfa eyayibanjelwe kwiYunivesithi yaseMaryland eyayinomxholo othi “Intsingiselo Yophando Ngemizila Yemfuza Nolwaphulo-mthetho.” Ingcamango yokuba kukho imizila yemfuza ebangela abantu babe zizaphuli-mthetho yamkeleka ngokulula. Abahlalutyi abaninzi babonakala bekuthanda ukuhamba nomndilili. Omnye umbhali wezenzululwazi kwiThe New York Times Magazine wathi ubungendawo busenokuba “bukwimisontwana yeeseli edluliselwa kuthi ngabazali bethu ngexesha lokukhawulwa.” Elinye inqaku elikwiThe New York Times lanikela ingxelo yokuba ukuxubusha rhoqo ngombandela wemizila yemfuza ebangela umntu atyekele ekubeni sisaphuli-mthetho kunikela ingcamango yokuba ulwaphulo-mthetho “lunemvelaphi efanayo—ukungasebenzi kakuhle kwengqondo.”
Ugqirha ngezigulo zengqondo waseHarvard, uJerome Kagan, uxela kwangaphambili ukuba kuseza ixesha laxa kuvavanyo lwemizila yemfuza kuya kufunyaniswa abantwana abatyekele kugonyamelo. Bambi abantu babonisa ukuba kusenokuba kukho ithemba lokuba ulwaphulo-mthetho lunokulawulwa ngendlela yebhayoloji endaweni yokuba oko kwenziwe ngokuguqulwa kwebutho labantu.
Indlela ezinikelwa ngayo iingxelo ezingezi ngcamango ngendlela yokuziphatha esekelwe kwimizila yemfuza, isoloko ingacacanga yaye kungaqinisekwanga ngayo. Incwadi ethi Exploding the Gene Myth ibalisa ngohlolisiso olwenziwa nguLincoln Eaves, ingcali ngokuziphatha okubangelwa yimizila yemfuza, owathi ufumene ubungqina bokuba kukho imizila yemfuza ebangela udandatheko. Emva kokuba enze uhlolisiso kumabhinqa abonakalisa iimpawu zodandatheko, lo kaEaves “wabonisa ukuba utyekelo [lwala mabhinqa] lodandatheko lwawenza achanabeka kwiinkathazo ezawehlelayo.” Ziziphi ezo “nkathazo”? Amabhinqa ekwenziwa kuwo uhlolisiso aye “adlwengulwa, ahlaselwa, okanye agxothwa emisebenzini yawo.” Ngoko ngaba ludandatheko olubangele ezi ziganeko zibuhlungu? Le ncwadi ihlabela mgama isithi “Wakha wayibona phi into enjalo? La mabhinqa aye adlwengulwa, ahlaselwa, okanye agxothwa emisebenzini yawo, ibe aye adandatheka. Okukhona esehlelwa ziziganeko ezibuhlungu, kokukhona eya edandatheka. . . . Bekuya kuba yinto efanelekileyo ukukhangela into ebandakanya imizila yemfuza ukuba yena [uEaves] ebefumanise ukuba udandatheko alunanto yakwenza namava obomi bukabani.”
Kwale mpapasho inye ithi la mabali “afana nqwa nezona ngxelo zisexesheni ezingemizila yemfuza [imikhwa], ezifumaneka kumajelo eendaba nakoolindixesha bezenzululwazi. Aneenkcazelo ezahlukahlukeneyo nezibangela umdla, iingcamango ezingenasihlahla, bebaxa ukubaluleka kwemizila yemfuza ebomini bethu. Eyona nto ikhwankqisayo ngale ngxelo kukungacaci kwayo.” Ihlabela mgama isithi: “Kukho umahluko omkhulu phakathi kokunxulumanisa imizila yemfuza neemeko ezilandela imfuza nokusebenzisa ‘utyekelo’ lwentelekelelo lwemizila yemfuza ukuchaza izifo ezintsonkothileyo njengomhlaza okanye uxinezeleko lwegazi. Izazinzulu zikhawuleza zifikelele kwisigqibo xa zisithi uphando olungemizila yemfuza lunokunceda ekuchazeni indlela yokuziphatha kwabantu.”
Noko ke, ngenxa yako konke oko sele kuxutyushiwe imibuzo esoloko ibuzwa isaphakama: Kutheni maxa wambi sifumanisa ukuguquka kweempawu zobuntu ezahlukileyo? Yaye sizilawula njani kwiimeko ezinjalo? Sinokukwazi size siqhubeke siyilawula njani indlela esiphila ngayo? Inqaku elilandelayo liya kungqineka liyingenelo ekunikeleni ezinye iimpendulo kule mibuzo.
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Unyango Lwemizila Yemfuza—Ngaba Kuye Kwazaliseka Oko Bekulindelwe Kulo?
Kuthekani ngonyango lwemizila yemfuza—ukufaka ngenaliti kubaguli imizila yemfuza eza kunyanga izifo zemizila yemfuza abazelwe nazo? Izazinzulu zazinolindelo olukhulu kwiminyaka embalwa edluleyo. “Ngaba sele lifikile ixesha lokuba kwenziwe unyango lwemizila yemfuza?” yabuza loo mbuzo iThe Economist kaDisemba 16, 1995, ibe yathi: “Xa uphulaphula oko kuthethwa ziingcali zolu nyango esidlangalaleni, noko kuvela kumajelo eendaba, unokucinga ukuba kunjalo. Kodwa igqiza lezazinzulu ezivunyiweyo zaseMerika azivumelani noko. Izazinzulu ezili-14 ezidumileyo zacelwa nguHarold Varmus, intsumpa yeNational Institutes of Health (NIH), ukuba ziphinde ziwuphonononge lo mbandela. Emva kweenyanga ezisixhenxe ziwuhlafuna lo mbandela zathi kwingxelo epapashwe kwiveki ephelileyo, nangona unyango lwemizila yemfuza luthembisa, izinto olusele luzenzile okwangoku ziye ‘zabaxwa’.” Kuye kwaxilongwa abaguli abangama-597 abanesifo ekuthiwa yiadenosine deaminase (ADA) okanye esinye sezifo ezininzi ekucingelwa ukuba sinokunyangwa ngokongezelelwa kwemizila yemfuza yomnye umntu. IThe Economist ithi: “Ngokutsho kweli gqiza, akukho namnye kubaguli oye wabonakala encedwa lolo lingelo.”
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Phezu kwako nje oko bambi basenokukubiza ngokuthi lutyekelo olukwimizila yemfuza, abantu banokuzikhethela indlela abazenza ngayo izinto