San Antonio College Library

"Over thirty years ago, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring first warned that manmade chemicals had spread across the planet, permeating virtually every living creature and the most distant wilderness. Her landmark book documented the deadly toll of these synthetic chemicals to birds and wildlife. Only now, however, are we recognizing the full consequences of this insidious invasion, which is derailing sexual development and reproduction, not only in a...

Born too soon and too small, premature newborns present doctors with some of the toughest medical and ethical challenges today. This program takes a deeply personal look at the emotional odysseys of two families, as specialized medical teams do all they can to save their babies. The emergency C-section to deliver Baby Jada, born twelve weeks early, and an operation to close a hole in Baby Neil's heart are captured on film, as well as interviews with...

This program looks at the events that lead from the fertilized cell to a human baby. Using film of living fetuses in the womb, it explains how the familiar human shape is "sculpted" out of the basic cell mass, what controls the timing of the various stages of fetal development, and what life is like for a fetus.

Some of the most fascinating research in genetics today involves mutagens-physical, chemical, and biological agents capable of altering the structure of DNA. This program looks at the characteristics and behavior of mutagens and shows how they are prevalent in the world around us-for example, in the form of UV radiation, cosmic rays, and some radioactive isotopes, as well as synthetic chemicals and natural mutagens that may arise during the metabolism...

The delicate interplay of hormones is responsible for all the events of reproduction. How many other body processes are controlled and coordinated by these chemical messengers becomes apparent in this program, which follows the role hormones play in response to a sudden emergency: the 'fight or flight' reaction.

Testosterone-it affects a man's strength, sex drive, desire for status, and parenting skills. It even affects how long he will live. This program explores the science behind masculinity and the central role testosterone plays in male development. At Texas A & M, Dr. Gerianne Alexander tracks the eye movements of infants and the gender-based preferences they reveal. Further links between testosterone and behavior emerge at the University of Texas,...

Birth: an entrance into life, the beginning of discovery, and a forging of essential bonds. This program weaves footage of many women's experiences of childbirth with valuable commentary from obstetricians, midwives, psychologists, counselors, and recent mothers and fathers. Key topics covered are sonograms and prenatal examinations, changing attitudes to the role of pain in childbirth, postpartum depression or "baby blues," and birthing scenarios,...

There is growing international interest in Female Genital Mutilation. This is partly due to the exposure of the subject by human rights activists and organizations and partly due to the emergence of the practice in the West. Given that Female Genital Mutilation has a negative effect on both the physical and psychological health of millions of women, not just in Africa but also in Europe, North America and other parts of the world, what must be done...

Imagine a future in which physical strength and assertiveness are the top-selling items on "baby menus." This program explores that possibility and other frightening implications of market-driven genetic engineering. Showing how the government-funded Human Genome Project has become highly lucrative for pharmaceutical companies, the video examines cases of exploitative gene harvesting in Iceland and Peru, where isolated ethnic populations contain commercially...

How far should people be allowed to go in trying to have better babies? And whose definition of "better" should prevail? This Fred Friendly Seminar moderated by Dateline NBC correspondent John Hockenberry considers the ethical dilemmas facing individuals and society that grow out of prenatal testing and genetic options that may be available in the future - such as cloning. Panelists include Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research...