...Contrary to popular notion, cloning started more than a century before Dolly, the first cloned mammal, became famous. It cannot be denied, nonetheless, that Dolly awakened the imagination of the populace regarding the pros and cons of cloning. It is a debate that continues to polarize society 15 years after the birth of the most famous sheep on Earth. Discussion We must emphasize that the cloning referred to in this article refers to reproductive, gene and therapeutic cloning. Reproductive cloning is used in the creation of an animal with the same nuclear DNA as another animal, the latter of which may be currently or previously in existence. This was the technology used in the creation of Dolly. Therapeutic cloning refers to the production of human embryos for the purpose of research. It has also been applied to create new organs or tissues for transplantation into a waiting patient with possible applications in the treatment of diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and even cancer. These two types of cloning – there is a third type known as gene cloning, by the way – are at the center of heated debates. If you wish to cast your vote on the pros and cons of cloning, it is important to acquire as much reliable and relevant information and education on the matter. Advantages of Cloning With that being said, the following are the generally accepted benefits of cloning: • Easy replacement of internal organs and tissues for patients in need of transplants...
Words: 548 - Pages: 3
...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 seem to far outweigh our suppositions about the results which of course may change as research continues and science and technology in genetics advances. Looking at the example...
Words: 1129 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 2337 - Pages: 10
...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 omnipotent and omnipresent being from doing anything, and if it is possible this raises serious questions about God’s divinity...
Words: 2863 - Pages: 12
...head of the cloning program was there Ian Wilmut (Gardner, 2003) The clone sheep was a huge advancement to modern science, numerous experts noticed the benefits that could arise for humanity. With this finding, the prospect of human cloning was begging to be hypothesized. Several governments were excited to outlaw cloning. An anti-cloning agreement was signed between many European countries, and the then president of the United States Bill Clinton had forced a suspension on the program. Both sides are presenting two different sort of ethical arguments. On one side antagonists of human cloning see cloning as a violation of essential and basic ethical and human rights. Where on the other side, supporters of cloning say that banning cloning would violate the same rights. Yet they equally mention the probable ills and benefits of such a practice, to individuals and the world. Even as ethical and even human rights do not have to be obsolete, some people ask others to respect their opinions and religious believes when it comes to cloning. Taking no consideration about the expenses of doing such a thing, will place ethical limitations on acceptable events that plea to a simple balance of benefits over ills. For instance, the rights of human beings becoming an issue in exploration of cloning should be a respectable action, even if the results are that a number of potentially helpful explorations are made more complicated or can not be completed. The banning of the cloning study is...
Words: 1474 - Pages: 6
...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 type of cloning is more...
Words: 4723 - Pages: 19
...eting debates about the numerous possibilities cloning had for our world. In recent years, due to sports injuries and other battle wounds, these possibilities have become increasingly personal for me, even as the technology and the debates have rapidly advanced. It seems that since the discovery of fire humanity has attempted to imitate and manipulate phenomena that nature has had billions of years to develop and perfect. Cloning is a perfect example of such attempts. In nature, cloning is the process by which genetically identical organisms are produced by way of asexual reproduction. With some success, scientists have been working on ways to reproduce this phenomenon through biotechnology, in a laboratory setting. In biotechnology, cloning refers to the process used to create copies of DNA, cells, or entire organisms. Each of these forms of cloning will be described in this paper, which will then explore the issues surrounding cloning from biological, technological and public health standpoints. Molecular cloning, or DNA cloning, is the process of making multiple copies of an isolated sequence of DNA fragments (Strachan & Read, 1999). This form of cloning is most often used in biological research, but is also used in more practical applications such as genetic profiling and protein production. In practice, techniques such as this are often used producing vaccines and researching cures to common ailments. Molecular cloning isolates a desired segment of a DNA and links t...
Words: 2102 - Pages: 9
...When one thinks of cloning they make think back to a science fiction movie they saw where clones took over the world or a book of the same genre where clones did something evil. Cloning has always been looked at as a futuristic endeavor, but truth is that cloning is here already. The most famous case of cloning is with Dolly the Sheep, which was the first animal to be cloned from a somatic cell. With cloning comes a wide variety of potential for science, some of which include organ transplantations and reproductive uses. The latter is what will be focused on in this paper. Reproductive cloning is the process of creating an animal that is genetically similar to the donor animal through somatic cell nuclear transfer. This is the same process...
Words: 1500 - Pages: 6
...DNA Technology BIO/240 May 6, 2013 DNA Technology INTRO – LEE DNA Technology: Cloning, Gene Therapy, and Stem Cell Research DNA technology encompasses a wide variety of applications and because of the duplicating nature of DNA, it is easy to see how humans could benefit from its manipulation. One such technology is cloning. Cloning technology comes in three forms: recombinant DNA cloning, reproductive cloning, and therapeutic cloning. Cloning Recombinant DNA cloning consists of transferring DNA fragments from an organism to a self-replicating element, like a bacterial plasmid. The fragments join with the cloning vector and are reproduced with the host cell. This technology is most commonly known for its use in genetically modified foods. DNA fragments that code for better tasting, higher nutrient qualities are spliced into regular plants to produce super foods (US Dept of Energy Genome Program, 2009). Reproductive cloning takes all the genetic information out of a cell and replaces it with DNA from the desired organism. With luck, this cell will begin to divide until it becomes an embryo and can be implanted into a host mother (US Dept of Energy Genome Program, 2009). Gene Therapy and Stem Cell Research Therapeutic cloning is by far the most controversial. This type of cloning produces human embryos for use in research, and usually for the stem cells that can be harvested from these embryos. Stem cells can be used to clone organs and body parts from the...
Words: 1647 - Pages: 7
...the planet and even the universe, there is more to worry about in the healthcare world. New medicines are being made, new surgical techniques are being performed, and incurable diseases are coming closer to an end. Things such as cloning were looked at as something that would happen hundreds of years from now and yet “the first mammal, Dolly the sheep, was cloned in 1997” (Munson 2008). It will still be a long time before humans are cloned, but it is clear that we are discovering new technology at a much faster rate than expected. The human genome can be used to eradicate disease in many different ways now that “the most significant discovery in the history of mankind” (Lecture Notes) is complete. With this incredible resource, genes can be repaired or altered so that a person can avoid developing a particular disease in the future. Although “gene therapy is still in the experimental stages,” (Lecture Notes) I think that this is something that is going to become very viable by 2100. This could completely change the world of medicine. If successful, genes could be changed so that a person will not get Alzheimer’s or diabetes. The possibilities would be endless and that would change the life expectancy of our generation. The ethical issues come into play though when I think about how drastically this would change our economy. The healthcare industry creates a lot of our nation’s revenue and having fewer people needing treatment would hurt our government. I also feel...
Words: 1119 - Pages: 5
...Cloning is not new and experiments with frogs and toads date back to the 1970s . Experiments involving plants and animal embryos have been performed for years, yet experiments involving human beings have never been tried or thought possible, until "Dolly". Her birth shocked the scientific community and has spurred discussion about the possibility of human clones. In the following essay I am going to speak about the subject of Human Cloning, its pros and cons, and speak against the following issues. Pros of Human Cloning Prior to arguing against the human cloning it is imperative to note the positives of this genetic technology. Human cloning will allow doctors to determine the cause of spontaneous abortions, give oncologists an understanding of the rapid cell growth of cancer, allow the use of stem cells to regenerate nerve tissues, and advance work on aging, genetics, and medicines. Some people argue that cloning is the logical next step in reproductive technology. Identical twins are natural clones, so reproductive cloning can be regarded as a technological version of a natural process (McGee, 82). If a couple are infertile, why shouldn't they be able to produce clones of themselves? If a couple have lost a child, why shouldn't they be able to replace that loved individual with a clone if that is possible? Equally if someone has made a great contribution to science, music, the arts or literature, it seems like a good idea to produce more of them in the hope that we might...
Words: 1104 - Pages: 5
...Additionally, cloning can be seen by opponents as useless. Shanks, in the article “Pet Cloning” says, “Cloning does nothing to improve their environment; it adds no genetic diversity; it requires many surrogates and egg donors, who may be harmed; and it may distract from lower tech but more practical conservation measures”. Opponents will claim that because cloning does not add genetic diversity, it is useless. They claim that it does not improve the environment. In spite of the previous claim, cloning does improve the environment. According to “Cloning”, cloning could be used as a substitute for selective breeding. Selective breeding, which is breeding animals with desirable characteristics to produce offspring with those characteristics,...
Words: 1469 - Pages: 6
...viable embryo. As part of the studies of genetics and developmental biotechnology, somatic cell nuclear transfer is commonly known as cloning and has elicited a lot of debate and criticism from fundamentalists and bioethicists who feel it is a breech of ethical boundaries. Also called cloning, this process traces its development back to the mid and late 1800’s when scientists discovered that cell twining was possible. By separating embryonic cells, these scientists created twins with the same characteristics teaching them about genetic material and DNA. McLaren & Council of Europe report “it was not until the mid1950’s that scientists manipulated these cells to form new organisms as frogs became the first subjects of embryonic cloning” (pg. 35). By the mid-1990’s, technical knowhow had improved, and cloning moved up the animal chain to more complex vertebrates such as farm animals. 1996 saw the first instance of a cloning process that had utilized an adult body cell. Dolly, a lamb, received a lot of public attention, but that fizzled out with the realization that human cloning was imminent. The cloning procedure Somatic cell nuclear transfer, cloning, requires two kinds of cells. The first is known as the somatic cell collected from the animal to be cloned, known as a genetic donor. This cell could be sourced from any tissue other than sperm as long as “it contains the complete genetic blueprint of its owner, or simply,...
Words: 1117 - Pages: 5
...2012 Human Therapeutic Cloning Should Be Permitted Human therapeutic cloning has the ability to greatly improve the quality of life. Cloning could be the answer to the end of your pain and suffering, but before you can understand it’s benefits, you have to know the process therapeutic cloning itself. Therapeutic cloning is a procedure in which cells, typically skin cells, are taken from a patient and inserted into a fertilized egg whose nucleus has been removed. Scientists then extract stem cells from the egg, and use those cells to grow tissue that are a perfect genetic match to the patient. It is a break-through in science and the key to curing many diseases including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Elizabeth Foley explains why human cloning should not be banned due to, “the primary objections to human cloning appear to be unfounded, based more on morality, theology, and fear than objective data.” The potential medical benefits of genetic engineering are far too great to let moral concerns about embryonic cell use get in the way of curing diseases. Human therapeutic cloning should not be banned from society because countless lives can be saved through transplantations and genetic research. Therapeutic cloning is the cloning of human tissues for research and transplant, and shows much promise in organ transplantation. Much needed organs grown from stem cells from the patient’s own genetic material could help solve the severe shortage issue, as well as solving ...
Words: 806 - Pages: 4
...taking already existing genetic material, and making an exact copy, is known as cloning. A revolutionary advancement, we are now capable of achieving with the technology and knowledge obtainable to us. When it comes to cloning, there is three types; therapeutic/research, reproductive human cloning and reproductive animal cloning. The mere thought of cloning has always been science fiction to me, something you only see in movies. Now that i'm faced to ponder whether or not any kind of cloning should be permitted. I believe that, just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be done. I urge you to please consider all the moral and ethical values we have as people, when its comes to permitting any type of cloning. As the outcomes, can be great in positive and negative gravity. The possibilities that come with therapeutic cloning, are enough to make...
Words: 1183 - Pages: 5
