Ethics Of Cloning

Kathy Nguyen
Ethics of Genetics Research Task
Cloning to Revive Extinct Species and Save Endangered Species
Cloning, creating an organism that has the exact genetic copy as another (Utah.edu). Cloning, although seen around the world as a very controversial topic, has the possibility to cure many problems in the world. One problem that cloning could address is the chance to bring back animals from extinction and save endangered animals.
How cloning addresses extinction?
There are two main ways of cloning, artificial embryo twinning and Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) (Utah.edu). The nucleus of a somatic cell (not a reproductive cell) contains the organism’s DNA. This nucleus is extracted, while the rest of the cell is discarded. Meanwhile,
If the same animal is cloned several times in an effort to increase the population numbers, and then allowed to breed with another animal, over time, this may cause serious inbreeding issues. Inbreeding gives rise to lack of genetic diversity, which is heritable traits in a population, which leads to the possibility of offspring born deformed.
Human activities have had an adverse effect on some species of animals and plants, to the point many have gone extinct. Scientists are desperately trying to bring back these creatures, which play a large part in food webs and support an ecosystem. By injecting a fertilized egg of an extinct species (usually extracted from dead specimens) into animals belonging to the same family, there is hope to revive these species to correct our mistakes.
Unfortunately, the chance of reviving an extinct species is slim. Not only will it take some time to be able to find the cells needed, but also the DNA inside the cell may be at risk of being corrupted. An organism that has been extinct for quite some time may still have their cells, however time and climate may have badly decomposed the cell, leaving the DNA in poor condition unable to be used for cloning (Perl,
By inbreeding, the animals risk having offspring with sever deformities, are weak and have no chance in the wild.
Although exaggerated in the movie Jurassic Park, cloning could possibly bring back pre-historic animals. These animals have no place in modern society and natural environment because they were meant to be extinct. This could corrupt the harmonious order of nature and upset food webs, other animals’ habitats etc. If a more recent species, such as the passenger pigeon were brought back, their migration routes and locations may change because it was not passed down from generation to generation.
Finding the right cells and the right technology in order to clone an animal is very costly. The money to fund such research could reach millions of dollars. Many activists protest that it is a waste of money, and the project would turn into failure anyway. The money should be used to fund another project that addresses a more pressing issue – such as global warming, poverty and