The African descent population of the Bananal community in the Brazilian state of Bahia (BA) was characterized as a genetic isolate and analyzed for some short tandem repeat (STR) microsatellite autosomic polymorphic loci (CSF1PO, TH01, TPOX, F13A1, FESFPS and vWA). These genetic variants were further compared to data obtained from an urban sample from the town of Jequié (BA) regarding demographic and anthropogenetic aspects. The Bananal sample comprised 32 unrelated individuals whereas Jequié was represented by 76 individuals. The Bananal Negroid Phenotypic Index (NPI) was 0.98 and the Negroid Cultural Index (NCI) 0.24. Consanguineous marriages occurred at a frequency of 34.61% and the F value was 0.0126. All six loci studied were in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (p > 0.05). The genotypic and allele frequencies of the CSF1PO and vWA loci were similar. In the Bananal population the genic diversity of the THO1 locus was 66.8% and that of the F13A1 locus was 83.7%. The estimated ethnic racial admixture was 81% African and 19% Amerindian. The multiple correlation coefficient (R²) indicated adequate adaptation (99%). Total genetic variation for the six loci was 82.9% with an index of 6.7% for population subdivision (G ST' = 0.067). Anthropologic data and results obtained from the allele frequencies of the loci studied are indicative of a genetic isolate in Bananal, reminiscent of the a 'quilombo community' (i.e. one founded by run away slaves).

O fato inovador de a Bioética ser uma área de conhecimento englobando várias disciplinas, e seu grande desenvolvimento em curto tempo, estão trazendo desafios de ordem acadêmica. O ensino da Bioética tornou-se uma nova experiência sem modelo didático definitivo. A forma tradicional de ensino baseada na concepção disciplinar não é eficaz para a completa compreensão desta nova área. A Bioética lida com saberes na encruzilhada de várias disciplinas, sugerindo uma concepção interdisciplinar ou mesmo transdisciplinar para seu ensino. A concepção filosófica da Bioética, conforme desenvolvida em países europeus, fortalece sua dimensão transdisciplinar e reconhece, na antropologia (cultural e filosófica), o suporte teórico para seu ensino. Assim, considerando a proximidade das culturas e valores morais das sociedades brasileira e européia, a concepção européia da Bioética parece mais apropriada para seu ensino neste país.

Due to the fact that Bioethics is an area of knowledge which encompasses several disciplines, and due to its rapid development in a short time, academic challenges have been produced. The teaching of Bioethics has become a new experience which has no definite didactic model. It is clear that traditional teaching, which is based on a disciplinary concept, has not been efficient to allow a complete understanding of Bioethics. Bioethics deals with knowledge in the cross-roads of several disciplines, suggesting a transdisciplinary concept for its teaching. Bioethics philosophical foundation, as those developed in European countries, strengthens its transdisciplinary dimension and recognizes anthropology (cultural and philosophical), as the theoretical support for its teaching. Thus, considering that Brazilian and European cultural and moral values are relatively similar, the European concept of Bioethics seems to be more adequate to support the teaching of Bioethics in Brazil.

O fato inovador de a Bioética ser uma área de conhecimento englobando várias disciplinas, e seu grande desenvolvimento em curto tempo, estão trazendo desafios de ordem acadêmica. O ensino da Bioética tornou-se uma nova experiência sem modelo didático definitivo. A forma tradicional de ensino baseada na concepção disciplinar não é eficaz para a completa compreensão desta nova área. A Bioética lida com saberes na encruzilhada de várias disciplinas, sugerindo uma concepção interdisciplinar ou mesmo transdisciplinar para seu ensino. A concepção filosófica da Bioética, conforme desenvolvida em países europeus, fortalece sua dimensão transdisciplinar e reconhece, na antropologia (cultural e filosófica), o suporte teórico para seu ensino. Assim, considerando a proximidade das culturas e valores morais das sociedades brasileira e européia, a concepção européia da Bioética parece mais apropriada para seu ensino neste país.

Due to the fact that Bioethics is an area of knowledge which encompasses several disciplines, and due to its rapid development in a short time, academic challenges have been produced. The teaching of Bioethics has become a new experience which has no definite didactic model. It is clear that traditional teaching, which is based on a disciplinary concept, has not been efficient to allow a complete understanding of Bioethics. Bioethics deals with knowledge in the cross-roads of several disciplines, suggesting a transdisciplinary concept for its teaching. Bioethics philosophical foundation, as those developed in European countries, strengthens its transdisciplinary dimension and recognizes anthropology (cultural and philosophical), as the theoretical support for its teaching. Thus, considering that Brazilian and European cultural and moral values are relatively similar, the European concept of Bioethics seems to be more adequate to support the teaching of Bioethics in Brazil.