Reproductive Cloning
Is reproductive cloning harmful to human life?
What is reproductive cloning?
Reproductive cloning is...
Reproductive cloning is when you take a genetic sample of an organism and produce an exact duplicate of the organism through a time taking process.
Background Information
- The first animal that was ever cloned from an adult somatic cell was a sheep named Dolly.
- Most scientists use the process SCNT (Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer) for cloning.
- During the process of duplicating an organism, genetic material from an adult cell is taken out and placed into an egg without any. Under the right influence the egg with genetic materials will soon develop an embryo and through another process, will grow into a fetus and then into a baby.
First Sheep Ever to have been Cloned from an Adult Somatic Cell using the Process of Nuclear Transfer
The Story of Dolly the Cloned Sheep | Retro Report | The New York Times
Benefits and Dangers of Reproductive Cloning
Benefits
- Helps the problem of endangered species
- Cloning could help scientists find cures for diseases
- Animal cloning can benefit in producing protein and drugs for pharmaceutical relations (Because most vaccines and proteins derive from animals)
- Pet owners do not have to suffer from the death of their pet
- The abundant of cloned animals can help in different researches
Dangers
- The uncertainty and risk of cloning of animals
- The question of "Is it safe and efficient?"
- Is it a health hazard? People have concerns in consuming food from cloned animals
- The technology used to clone animals are believed to be harmful to the animals
- The clones might have health flaws. There are reports of high mortality rates and birth defects.
- There are more failed attempts than successful ones therefore, this could be costly
Conclusion
I believe that the only time cloning is harmful to life is if you make it seem harmful. For instance, cloning your dead, loved animal is not harmful to us. On the other hand if someone sells us food products from a cloned animal, it may not be as safe. Cloning animals for research should be allowed only if it is necessary. If cloning does become prominent in the future then there should be a strict law world-wide where you can only make a certain amount of clones. Either than cloning a dead animal, cloning should be used only for pharmaceutical reasons.
Bibliography
- "10 Marked Advantages and Disadvantages of Cloning Animals." Greengarageblog.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
- Silver, Lee, and Jamie Grifo. "Human Cloning: How Close Is It?" PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
- New York Times. "The Story of Dolly the Cloned Sheep | Retro Report | The New York Times." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
- Freudenrich, Ph.D. Craig. "How Cloning Works." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
- Dolly the Sheep. Digital image. Animalreasearch.info. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
- "Cloning." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2015. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
- "CGS : Reproductive Cloning." CGS : Reproductive Cloning. N.p., 10 Mar. 2010. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
- Ford, Gerald. "Human Reproductive Cloning Should Be Banned, but Therapeutic Cloning Should Be Allowed." Cloning. Ed. Sylvia Engdahl. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Contemporary Issues Companion. Rpt. from "Curing, Not Cloning." Washington Post 5 June 2002: A23. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.
- "The process used to clone Dolly the sheep." Genetics and Genetic Engineering. Barbara Wexler. Detroit: Gale, 2007. Information Plus Reference Series. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.