Artificial Embryo Twinning
Cloning
Artificial Embryo Twinning – technology that mimics the natural process of creating identical twins
Naturally, twins occur just after the fertilization of an egg cell by a sperm cell, the fertilized egg rarely tries to divide into a two-cell embryo, the two cells separate. Each cell continues to divide on its own which in course develops into a separate individual within the womb. Since the two cells came from the same fertilized egg which results in the individuals being genetically identical.
Artificial embryo twinning used the same approach except it occurs in a Petri dish instead of inside a womb. This happens by manually separating a very early staged embryo into individual cells and then allowing each cell to divide and develop on its own. The embryos are then places into a surrogate mother, where they are carried to term and delivered. Again since the embryos came from the same fertilized egg, they are genetically identical.
Controversy regarding Artificial Embryo Twinning
Despite the potential benefit of using human ES (embryonic stem) cells in the treatment of disease, their use remains controversial because of their origin from early embryos, the cells come from human pre-implantation embryos.