Abstract
In order to understand the ethical and social issues which arise from genetic technology and geneticallyrelated medical treatment, it is indispensable to think about the question "what is genetic information?" In an attempt to understand this question, this paper examines the nature of genetic information. It is believed that the nature of genetic information can be categorized into three characteristics: predicability; inheritability or sharability; and harmfulness. In order to quickly consider the peculiarities of genetic information, the arguments of George Annas and Thomas H. Murray were closely examined. Regarding the characteristics of predicability and harmfulness, genetic information is not different from other types of medical information. However, regarding the nature of inheritability or sharability, as a result of consideration from a standpoint of making a strict distinction between the "essential" nature of genetic information and the "image" we receive from this information, it is concluded that genetic information has a special nature. Over and above thinking only about genetic information, the distinction between the "essential" and the "image" will become increasingly important to see ethical and social issues arising from genetically related technology.
