ABSTRACT
Ethical issues concerning the use of biotechnology are a major concern and consequently ethical guidelines are in high demand. Organ transplantation evokes a whole complex of moral, professional, ethical and legal problems. Sociology stresses that what is considered "right" or "good" depends on the perspectives of the actors involved in the situations in which they act and interact. One tries to identify the particular ethical principles or rules that actors consider relevant in the situation and are supposed to apply. Living organ transplantation includes the donation of kidneys, lobes of the lung, and segments of pancreas, liver, and the small intestine. The adoption of brain death criteria in establishing death improved the transplantation of kidneys and made possible transplantations of heart, livers and lungs. The process of allocation of organs comprises at least two dimensions, the proper selection of patients and the organ allocation. The supply-demand gap can be reduced also by encouraging donation or changing criteria for donation.
