Cloning
English 100
12/14/12
Position Paper
Clone Wars 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. Essentially it is the production of an exact copy of an original. Cloning has the potential to save human lives by providing needed organs for transplant, expand the scientific advantages of research in genetics and fertility, as well as cure genetic diseases and disorders. The history of cloning has been used to both give hope to a future in cloning as well as discredit the legitimacy of it. Cloning of plants has been a common practice of mankind for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years. Even cloning of small animals has a long history dated back to the 1960 's. However, human cloning had not been thought possible until the successful cloning of the first mammal, Dolly the sheep, in 1997. The birth of Dolly was a major scientific and technological breakthrough. However, it also raised the possibility that one day humans will be cloned, as well as many medical and ethical issues and concerns associated with this possibility. Following the cloning of Dolly, many other animals, including cows and mice, have been successfully cloned. Scientists hope that one day therapeutic cloning can be used to generate tissues and organs for transplants. To do this, DNA would be extracted from the person in need of a transplant and inserted into an enucleated egg, or an egg that comes from a nucleus. After the egg containing the patient 's DNA starts to divide and the embryonic stem cells can then be transformed into any type of tissue to be harvested. The stem cells would be used to generate an organ or tissue that is a genetic match to the recipient. In theory, the cloned organ could then be transplanted into the patient without the risk of tissue rejection. "If organs could be generated from cloned human embryos, the need for
12/14/12
Position Paper
Clone Wars 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. Essentially it is the production of an exact copy of an original. Cloning has the potential to save human lives by providing needed organs for transplant, expand the scientific advantages of research in genetics and fertility, as well as cure genetic diseases and disorders. The history of cloning has been used to both give hope to a future in cloning as well as discredit the legitimacy of it. Cloning of plants has been a common practice of mankind for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years. Even cloning of small animals has a long history dated back to the 1960 's. However, human cloning had not been thought possible until the successful cloning of the first mammal, Dolly the sheep, in 1997. The birth of Dolly was a major scientific and technological breakthrough. However, it also raised the possibility that one day humans will be cloned, as well as many medical and ethical issues and concerns associated with this possibility. Following the cloning of Dolly, many other animals, including cows and mice, have been successfully cloned. Scientists hope that one day therapeutic cloning can be used to generate tissues and organs for transplants. To do this, DNA would be extracted from the person in need of a transplant and inserted into an enucleated egg, or an egg that comes from a nucleus. After the egg containing the patient 's DNA starts to divide and the embryonic stem cells can then be transformed into any type of tissue to be harvested. The stem cells would be used to generate an organ or tissue that is a genetic match to the recipient. In theory, the cloned organ could then be transplanted into the patient without the risk of tissue rejection. "If organs could be generated from cloned human embryos, the need for
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