Cloning is producing a genetically identical organism to its parent. Since 1997, there have been many examples of cloning. Two examples are of Dolly the sheep and Tetra the monkey. These two clones are examples of different techniques used for cloning. And because of the previous two examples of cloning many ethical questions have been raised.
In 1997, Scottish scientist Ian Wilmut and his workers produced a sheep named Dolly. What was so great about Dolly? Dolly was a clone. She was made from a cell of an adult female sheep. This technique is known as Nuclear Transfer. It removed the Nucleus from a female’s egg and replaces it with a nucleus from a different animal from the same species. Then they place the egg in the uterus of a third animal.
On January14, 1999 Tetra, a rheas monkey, was produced. The technique used for the cloning of Tetra was Embryo-splitting. This involves splitting an early-stage embryo. This creates multiple embryos that are genetically identical.
In Nuclear transfer when the nucleus is removed it carries genetic information and directs all cell activities. After the nucleus is implanted into another cell without a nucleus. Then the egg is placed into the womb of a surrogate mother.
Embryo- splitting causes the embryo to continue dividing in half, thirds, or fourths which causes identical twins, triplets, or quadruplets. It can only make up to a maximum of four genetically identical animals. In genetically identical animals. In Nuclear transfer unlimited numbers of genetically identical animals.
The Essay on Cloning And Embryo Research
Cloning and Embryo Research: The Science Fiction Reality The idea of cloning a life form seemed like something read from a science fiction novel just ten years ago. Now, the theories, ideas and facts of cloning embryos have made cloning one of the most talked about social issues of our time. The researchers of this scientific breakthrough have made a lot of progress in recent years. Many have ...
Both of these techniques have something in common. They raise many ethical questions. Some of these questions are Does man have the right to control life? Would we make a human clone later on? Should cloning be banned from the United States?
No one can make the decisions for everyone and they can’t please them as well.
These ethical questions lead us to the pros and the con’s of cloning. There are two sides to any perspective. The Pros are not as numerous as the Cons but they are just as important.
The Pros are that cloning can genetically alter individual animals within a group so all of them would carry a desired trait, increased growth potential or resistance to a disease. It could help science to find cures to many diseases such as Cancer, Diabetes and other genetically linked diseases. If a child was thought to have been missing an enzyme then a clone could produce this important enzyme. These are just two examples of the Pros of cloning but they are the most important.
The Cons go along with many of the ethical questions raised. Some of these Cons are manipulation of human cells through genetic engineering seems to go against God’s laws. It does not seem like a natural part of humankind. It could lead to the genetic engineering for improving a certain group of people. For example improving the hereditary qualities of a race. Cloning could also stop genetic progress through regular breeding processes.
Cloning has become a big issue in all parts of the world. There are two prime examples of cloning that have taken place over the past five years. Dolly the sheep and Tetra the monkey is two. Dolly and Tetra were created from two different methods of cloning. It has caused a stir of ethical questions and it has many pros and cons. A decision will someday be made about cloning and all its ethical questions and previous examples will still be remembered.