Cloning

What is cloning? Cloning in biology 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. For example, cloning products
from scientist is the cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996. But, cloning has become
something of a buzzword, especially in scientific circles. Formerly a staple of science
fiction stories, it entered the public consciousness as it never had before. Not
surprisingly it has generated controversy, with many of the objections coming
religious organizations. However, the cloning has advantages and disadvantages.

Firstly, the advantages the cloning is can clone animals such as cattle, hogs
and chickens. It is can be bred to provide more milk and eggs than animals that are
naturally reproduced. Researchers, at the same time, can enhance the nutritional
value of food and lower cholesterol in eggs and meat by applying the same method.
Through this way, the scientist can help the poor countries who lack food.

Besides that, the treatment with cloning is to help those who can’t have
children. Or is it unethical too. Infertility is caused by genetic defects, injuries to the
reproductive organs, congenital defects and exposure to toxic substances and rays.
Cloning technology offers a higher success in having a child. Most people are sterile
because they cant produce feasible gametes. Cloning techniques wouldn’t require
viable sperm or egg, any body cell would do. Cloning technology can only produce a
cloned embryo. The embryo must develop in a uterus, then the developed child must
experience childhood and adolescence. The clone will be identical physically not
behaviourally to its donor. Cloning techniques are already in use today, it is called In
vitro. This procedure is done by taking a sperm, an egg and putting them together in
a dish and waiting until they start to develop and place them back into the donor’s
body. This technology is to get around faulty gametes and allow infertile people to
have their own biological children.

Also. the techniques of cloning or the duplication of cells and genes are vital
to the efforts in acquiring advanced medicines that are for diagnosis and vaccines,
for treating heart diseases, to cure several kinds of cancer, kidney ailments,
diabetes, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, etc. More than a 100 million
patients have benefited up to these benefits now and on-going researches are made
and developed on these techniques for the more than 20 years. The techniques will
help in producing skin, cartilages, and bones to save the victims of burns and
accidents, and also to produce cells to cure cancer, or repair the retina, or the spinal
column.
 However, cloning can effects to living things. Among that is The uncertainty of
science technology. Science and technology cannot solve everything. What if we
allow to human cloning? Have we ever thought of the results of that? Will the results
be controllable? Even scientists cannot promise they can. Obviously, there are some
potential crises lurking behind. Of course, these kinds of uncertainty are not
reasonable to stop all the developments of science and technology. But we believer
that we should ban such extreme cases (such as human cloning) as long as they
have potential in damaging humans’ future. Furthermore, in cloning Dolly, it resulted
in the death of many embryos and newborns before success achieved. (The Dolly
experiment started with 277 fused eggs, of which only 29 became embryos. All the
embryos were transferred to 13 sheep. 1 became pregnant with Dolly.) In addition,
even if the human clone survived, it is not guaranteed that it would develop normally.
The genetic material in cloning Dolly came from a 6 year old mammal (what is an old
stage of sheep). Dolly’s chromosomes could be found in older animals only. This
finding made scientists start wondering whether Dolly, looking totally normal from its
appearance, might have inherited genetic damage that would be shown in older age
only or some other abnormalism.

In addition, the cloning can effect Inheriting diseases

Cloning creates a copy of the original. A human clone would therefore inherit the
genetic traits of its predecessor. This includes genetic abnormalities and diseases.
Dolly the sheep for example exhibited signs of what some suggested were
premature aging, although this was firmly denied by her ‘developers’.

As a conclusion, cloning is like so many other issues that have faced modern
science, must be carefully evaluated. There will always be detractors, those who feel
that anyone involved in cloning is playing God. And this may not be too far from the
truth. However, any discussion on cloning must be looked at in the context of its
inherent value to mankind.