...REACTION PAPER Ethics and Fears and Wonders of Human Cloning By Dr. Alfredo P. Co What is a clone? According to the Encyclopædia Britannica (1979), “a clone is a population of organisms derived originally from a single individual. By definition clones occur only in organisms capable of asexual reproduction and consist of genetically identical individuals”. There has been a successful recorded experiment which regard to cloning, although it was just an animal (a sheep to be more specific), there has been speculations that Human Cloning is not very far away. Before judging this issue, we should refrain having ignorant thoughts and try to study and understand the issue and detach ourselves from our emotions, religious dogmas and cultural habits/ or entrenched habits. We should see all the possible outcome of this, both positive and negative. Cloning is an issue that cannot be overlooked because everyone will be affected by the decision that would be put upon the issue, lives will either be saved and/or lost. In February 1997, Dolly the sheep, was successfully cloned from an adult sheep. After this experiment, some people were enthusiastic with this successful discovery, because it may be the key to unlocking the ‘untreatable diseases’ that we are currently facing today. It may give life and/or prolong life, it may be the only solution and the only hope for families that are experiencing a very difficult time in watching their loved ones suffer, and it may be the only guarantee...
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...ETH/316 ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Morality and Ethics in the 21st Century and Beyond Morality and Ethics study of Human Cloning and The Holocaust | Marcus D. Taylor 12/5/2011 Both morality and ethics will become a downgraded value as time goes on. And this is an ongoing version of the ideologies of events that happened the past. As time approaches a new dawn the world will be forced to adapt to change. There will be questions on what changes will affect the morals and ethics accepted from its society. Morality will change as it has in the past due to the evolving technology. Take for example the new technological developments of Cloning. Cloning is one of the most extensively discussed topics in the modern world. It is a subject that universally evokes immense reactions from society. Cloning is the technique of producing a genetically identical duplicate of an organism by replacing the nucleus of an unfertilized ovum with the nucleus of a body cell from the organism (Yourdictionary.com). In 1903, plants were the first living organisms to be cloned, pioneering the concept. Progressive developments in research now usher in greater advancements in this technology, including the successful cloning of the sheep now known as “Dolly” in 1997 by Scottish scientist, Dr. Ian Wilmut. Logically, the next step is to clone human beings. Is human cloning essential for improvements in enhancing the quality of life? Since cloning still raises...
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...HUMAN CLONING Human Cloning Human Cloning One of the most controversial topics around the world today is human cloning. Knowledge rush defined cloning as “the creation of a genetically identical copy of an existing human or growing cloned tissue from that individual.” Human cloning is also referred to as artificial human cloning. Cloning efforts date back to the 1800s with the attempts to clone sea urchins and frogs. As of today, human cloning has not been perfected or deemed safe. Human cloning should not be legalized due to the high possibility of wiping out the entire population, overcrowding the entire population and the many ethical and medical issues. More advanced research, studies and experiments are needed before human cloning can become a reality. Then we have therapeutic and reproductive cloning. Therapeutic cloning is defined by med terms as “a procedure when cells (typically from the skin), are taken from patients and then inserted into a fertilized egg whose nucleus has been removed.” The stem cells that are extracted are used to grow tissue that could possibly be a genetic match and treat disorders like diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Keep in mind that this is not 100% accurate and that it’s a big part of the bioethical controversy. Developing cures is a huge one. The effort to find cures for illnesses will become extinct because every scientist and doctor will be too focused on cloning and looking out for themselves. Then...
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...produced by cloning methods and was born to a surrogate mother (“Cloning Fact Sheet”). The methods used to clone Dolly were once considered to be biologically impossible (Wilmut and Highfield 12). Thus, once Dolly’s birth was announced to the rest of the world, an immediate debate over the ethics of cloning began. In particular, reproductive cloning was widely discussed because it could possibly be accomplished through somatic cell nuclear transfer to clone entire humans (“Cloning Fact Sheet”). For medical, social, religious, and political reasons, there are both proponents and opponents of reproductive human cloning and its ethics. Currently, the best way to deal with reproductive cloning is to ban its use because there are many negative consequences that could arise from using cloning technology. There are two different types of human cloning: therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning. The goal of the former is to obtain stem cells from embryos that can be used to study the growth of the human body and to find possible cures and treatments for various diseases (“Cloning Fact Sheet”). The purpose of the latter, on the other hand, is to create a whole human being through cloning. Specifically, reproductive cloning is done using somatic cell nuclear transfer and can theoretically produce a human that has the same exact nuclear DNA as another individual. Currently, though, this technology has only been used to clone animals and has not yet been successful in cloning humans (“Cloning...
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...Research Ethics RES/351 August 12, 2013 Stem Cell and Human Cloning Research and Ethics Questions about ethics in research have increased and unethical issues rise from different fields such as Medicine and Science. When the discussion about stem cell and human cloning researches rise for the meaning, “what is life?” the question is simple, but the answer is still unclear. This paper is an overview of the articles about stem cell and human cloning researches that discuss business research ethics and involves ethical and unethical issues. A stem cell is a type of cell found into the body of all human beings, has the capability to reproduce them, and to produce other types of cells such as brain cells, muscle cells, and others. In the New York Times’ article is very clear that the ongoing battle to make this research valid is relentless. This research can be the potential that holds for the future generation and scientists affirms; “stem cells may be used to replace or repair damaged cells, and have the potential to drastically change the treatment of conditions like cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and even paralysis.” (Harris, 2012) However, opponents of embryonic stem cell want the research to be restricted or prohibited entire as inhumane because most researches are done by creating embryonic stem cell from fertilized cells. When the approach is human cloning there is no difference, opponents to the research claim that it is immoral and unethical. In human cloning...
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...2010 Cloning Human, animal, and plant cloning is one of the most controversial subjects in modern science. There are many good arguments in favor of cloning, as well as many against it. In my opinion, plant and animal cloning could be very efficient to society by way of creating more food, but I also view it as unethical. In this essay I will discuss many pro’s and con’s of cloning. Cloning can help the human race in many ways, but is it necessary? One way it can help us is by the cloning of plants and animals. In doing this, we could create more food and genetically engineer the food to maximize its health. "Commercial livestock cloning could inundate the food supply with novel products that have not been safety tested."(Mendelson). Most scientists who oppose the idea claim that cloned animals usually have birth defects, and have not been properly tested for safe consumption. Although this could be true, with the rapidly advancing technology in today’s world it probably will not be long until cloning is perfected, and the animals pass all tests. However, is the cloning of animals really necessary for us to survive? Those who are on the more ethical side of the matter believe that God has and will continue to provide us with plenty of plants and animals to survive on. Thus, the argument can go back and forth depending on your beliefs and personal ethics. Ultimately the answer to the question is what you make it. Another way cloning can benefit us is by the cloning of human...
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...Cloning 1. What should Dr. Smith do? I think that with such minimal overall research done in the entire cloning industry and no research done with a human being the variable, it is not a wise decision for Dr. Smith to proceed with cloning the body cell of Lucy. Although I don’t think that any further damage (besides death) could happen to Lucy, if something terrible happens or if the procedure does go well and then Lucy becomes ill or something else goes wrong with the cloning in the long run, Mr. Luning could come back after the doctor for damages or just create a bad reputation for Dr. Smith and she could lose and donation or funds that she currently has while cloning animals. 2. Give three reasons she should not do this. 1. Risk – Something could go wrong with the cloning and cause a hardship on future funding and views on Dr. Smith 2. Emotion damage – No longer working on an animal, a procedure that goes wrong could cause the doctor to no longer work towards more research in cloning. 3. Ethics – Many people and maybe even the doctor towards human cloning, could have feelings against a human cloning. 3. Give three reasons she should 4. Success – If everything goes right with the cloning she could be forever known as the pioneer in human cloning. 5. Financial – With Mr. Luning willing to pay everything he has for the procedure, with it being successful many other possible client would present themselves for the services...
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...Life: The Ethics and Science of Biotechnology The question of whether humans should have the right to clone themselves leads to interesting questions on the nature of human individuality. There is also the ethical question of whether human reproductive cloning in order to replicate ones genetic identity should be allowed at all. If reproductive cloning to create an entire human being were possible, and accessibility and cost were not a factor, should humans have the unrestricted right to clone themselves? The right or even need for humans to clone themselves is as complex a moral or ethical issue as it is a complex bimolecular and genetic procedure. There may be no definitive answer to the ethical or moral dilemmas but in my opinion there is not a reason compelling enough to justify human reproductive cloning of an entire human being, even if it were technically possible at this time. There appear to be too many issues and unknowns in both the science and ethics of human reproductive cloning to allow it even if it were possible. The fear as portrayed in science fiction about armies of replicated humans threatening society and all of our identities being at risk are certainly unfounded as the science proves out (Sommers Smith, 5C - 23). Unlike the renowned geneticist James Watson I am not so certain that having the ability to clone a human would make it a benefit to our society, or should make it a requirement to do so (Grace, pp. 214-215). The unknowns about human cloning...
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...Medical Ethics PHL 399 Summary # 3 Jeannie Taylor The topics encountered for this week’s readings involved stem cells, cloning of animals, the debate of human cloning, and gene therapy. Some terms that were new to me included: nascent, which basically means to be born; hubris which means full of pride; meliorist, which is a human’s effect on societal improvement; and the term despotism, meaning complete power or authority. In the reading on the President’s Council on Bioethics the council agreed that reproductive cloning was unacceptable. However it was not unanimous on therapeutic cloning. Majority of the council recommended a four year moratorium on research cloning and the remaining members recommended regulations of cloned embryos in research. A moral case for cloning for biomedical research is to provide possibilities of treating diseases. Research is limited to fourteen day old embryos that would be created to provide a good service for life and medicine. A moral case against cloning refers to embryos being treated as raw material solely to fulfill our own needs. There is also great concern of possibly causing harm to society by crossing reproduction margins and/or ruin to nascent human life. The four year moratorium hopes to provide some firm policies on cloning and allow time for a well researched and judicious decision to be attained. The central moral issue from the case of Dolly, the cloned sheep, is whether it is morally acceptable to clone...
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...It is possible to clone mammals. Is it morally acceptable to clone a human being? Defend your answer against those who would not agree with you. By: Martin Pierce Student Number: 1057404 In cloning for medical-research purposes the development of the embryo is halted as soon as a cluster of stem cells develops. The stem cells are then harvested for research purposes. Due to the fact that no infant is born (in fact the embryo never even gets past the blastocyst stage), it is argued that this type of cloning has nothing to do with human cloning. (Hatch Backs Limited Cloning, 2002). For this reason this paper shall take the statement “to clone a human being” as meaning cloning that results in a fully formed human and not on the cloning of embryos for the purposes of research. The issues around cloning are in the main more ethical than theological and yet most of the objections to cloning come from religious sources, even if those objections are not religious in nature. The first objection is that cloning leaves God out of the process of human creation. This only makes sense though if your definition of God is of a being that plays a role in the birth of each member of our species. Even holding to this view it does not necessarily follow that cloning is comparable to playing God (Brannigan, 2001). How can science prevent a supposedly...
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...Argumentative Essay 21st March, 2013 Cloning The twenty first century has brought in many extraordinary breakthroughs one of which happens to be cloning. Cloning can be defined as the process of creating a cell, tissue line or even a complete organism from a single cell (Jane Maienshchein, 2001). Cloning was a mere dream that people in the past used to have and wish upon, where cloning has been seen to be an impossible desire that no man can achieve. However, nowadays technology has reached levels that people thought would never reach and spread into so many branches and depths that now it has become safe to say that nothing is really impossible. Breaking the impossibility, many questions are being asked and many arguments are taking place around human cloning. Cloning has been considered to not just human beings but to animals as well. When the sheep dolly was cloned, the issue of cloning became something familiar to read about in the news. Many headlines have helped the public consider about taking part in this serious issue that is human cloning. Questions start to rise regarding the possibility of human cloning, and of course technology, they are questions that never stop. What has started out as thoughts and ideas about human cloning written down on papers, are now ideas that are being turned in to live experiments preformed in the labs. Away from the different views of the religious organizations and people’s thoughts and disagreement, cloning can be considered a predictable...
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...Wanda Brewington Professor Maria Zaccaria Introduction to Ethics April 27, 2015 Outline THESIS: Is the use of stem cells favorable for healing and or curing human diseases more favorable for healing and or curing diseases more significant than the ethical concerns and arguments? I. What are stem cells? A) An unspecialized cell that can generate to one or more different types of specialized cells regenerated as blood or nerve cells. B) Stem cells are present in embryos and in tissues of adult organisms. II. How are stem cells used? A) Scientific Research B) Potential disease and treatment and or cures C) In vitro fertilization D) Cloning and Genetic Engineering III. Ethical concerns regarding stems cells. A) Scientific research perspective B) Political/Moral Ethics perspective C) Religious/Utilitarianism perspective IV. Conclusion | Stem Cells Risk or Benefit Since the introduction of DNA, scientists have researched many ways to treat and extinguish disease. One interesting way is through the use of stem cells. To get better understanding of stem cells, they are defined as non-specific biological cells capable of differentiating into specialized cells. Stems cells have a unique quality of developing and duplicating cells through the process of cell division. The distinctiveness of stem cells is that they are unspecialized, meaning...
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...Running head: The Ethics of Cloning The Ethics of Cloning Team D: Casey Krueger, Erin Lee, Ferdinand Malarayap, Marvin Monge, and Ibrahim Mortada August 14, 2011 DeVry University Online Stem cell research and cloning have become a major topic of interest in countries all around the world ever since Dolly the sheep was successfully cloned in 1997. Every single country has their own views about stem cell research and cloning because of their moral and ethical issues. Muslims, for example, are individuals who are firm believers that knowledge is acquired in a form of worship, and any human achievement must be performed in conformity with God’s will. The introduction of new science in Islam is not perceived with open arms and new technology has to prove benefits before it is accepted because of the fear and respect the Muslim culture has for their God. Any new knowledge or discovery must be implemented within the confines of God’s laws and limits to maintain a healthy balance in the creation. Science and religion have to work together in the Muslim culture to determine if new knowledge or research such as stem cell and cloning are linked to the broad ethical base set forth in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Cloning began from the very earliest if civilization. Historians and scientist believe that early farmers took the strongest of their crop, self-pollinated them with same plant, extracted the seeds, and planted them to create a field of genetically identical plants. This...
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...relating to human beings, wildlife, and the environment. Rapid improvements in the natural sciences and technology powers us with the ability to manipulate human life and have seriously aided better living conditions and amplified the standard of life for people universally. Conflictingly, there are detrimental consequences, such as nuclear waste, as well as certain advances such as gene technology and cloning, have caused suspicions and uncertainty regarding the future of human beings. As Christian stewards of the modern era, we need to assess situations about all bioethical concerns through proper representation of Christian...
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...“In biology, cloning is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments (molecular cloning), cells (cell cloning), or organisms. The term also refers to the production of multiple copies of a product such as digital media or software.” According to the authors from, “Wikipedia.” Cloning can supply organs or tissues for transplants, and there is a benefit for the animal world. Experts of the Wake Forest Institute manufacture in experimental stage diverse fabrics to be trans-planted, preventing the patient to reject them. A group of Wake...
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