The anticancer drug Taxol freezes the mitotic spindle after it forms, which may stop a tumor from growing it is made from a chemical in the bark of the Pacific yew, a tree found mainly in the northwestern United States. It has fewer side effects than many other anticancer drugs and seems effective against some hard-to-treat cancers of the ovary and breast. Another drug vinblastine, prevents the mitotic spindle from forming. It was first obtained from the periwinkle plant, native to the tropical rain forests of Madagascar. Given these examples, preserving biodiversity may be the key to discovering lifesaving anticancer drugs. Such drugs are often discovered in developing areas, but because they are expensive, they primarily benefit people in developed regions. Do you see a conflict in this? Explain.

Views: 5,486 students