Is Therapeutic Cloning Worth the Risk
Is Therapeutic Cloning Worth the Risk?
Is Therapeutic Cloning Worth the Risk? I. The history of cloning
A few years ago, a movie showed how Adolf Hitler could have been cloned to produce copies of himself. Of course, this is a terrible idea, because as we know, Hitler killed millions of people. Yet, people now have cloning that can benefit humankind. The events in the movie were imaginary, but during the 20th century, cloning became real. Cloning of plants and small animals has been practiced for a long time. The study of cloning starts with the theory which was proposed by zoology and comparative anatomy professors at the University of Freiberg in Germany in the 1880’s.The theory proposes that a cell’s genetic information will decrease progressively with each cell division. In 1901, the result of Hans Spemann’s 2-cell salamander experiment showed that the early embryos including all the genetic information were crucial for developing a new organism. The first recombinant DNA molecules were created in 1972. In 1994, nuclear transfer was invented by Willesden (History of cloning, n.d.).
Until the cloning of Dolly, the development of DNA and gene technology was sluggish. After the birth of Dolly, a new way of looking at genetics was found, raising the possibilities of human cloning. Human cloning, on the other hand, had been thought of as a pipe dream or a work of fiction until Scottish scientist Dr. Ian Wilnot successfully cloned an adult sheep Dolly in 1997. The birth of Dolly represents a considerable scientific and technological breakthrough in the field of cloning because it proved that cloning of animals from adult cells was possible. Dolly also is the most significant milestone in the observation of DNA and genetics and greatly facilitated every aspect of biochemistry. However, the rapid development of human cloning has become a most controversial topic for debating the question of whether cloning should be legal or not.
II. Basic information
Is Therapeutic Cloning Worth the Risk? I. The history of cloning
A few years ago, a movie showed how Adolf Hitler could have been cloned to produce copies of himself. Of course, this is a terrible idea, because as we know, Hitler killed millions of people. Yet, people now have cloning that can benefit humankind. The events in the movie were imaginary, but during the 20th century, cloning became real. Cloning of plants and small animals has been practiced for a long time. The study of cloning starts with the theory which was proposed by zoology and comparative anatomy professors at the University of Freiberg in Germany in the 1880’s.The theory proposes that a cell’s genetic information will decrease progressively with each cell division. In 1901, the result of Hans Spemann’s 2-cell salamander experiment showed that the early embryos including all the genetic information were crucial for developing a new organism. The first recombinant DNA molecules were created in 1972. In 1994, nuclear transfer was invented by Willesden (History of cloning, n.d.).
Until the cloning of Dolly, the development of DNA and gene technology was sluggish. After the birth of Dolly, a new way of looking at genetics was found, raising the possibilities of human cloning. Human cloning, on the other hand, had been thought of as a pipe dream or a work of fiction until Scottish scientist Dr. Ian Wilnot successfully cloned an adult sheep Dolly in 1997. The birth of Dolly represents a considerable scientific and technological breakthrough in the field of cloning because it proved that cloning of animals from adult cells was possible. Dolly also is the most significant milestone in the observation of DNA and genetics and greatly facilitated every aspect of biochemistry. However, the rapid development of human cloning has become a most controversial topic for debating the question of whether cloning should be legal or not.
II. Basic information
References: Center News Magazine: Research Shows Therapeutic Cloning Can Cure Parkinson 's-like Disease in Mice | Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. (2003, September 1).Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Retrieved February 8, 2013, from http://www.mskcc.org/news/research-shows-therapeutic-cloning-can-cure-parkinson-s-disease-mice Cloning Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Retrieved February 8, 2013, from http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/cloning.shtml Conger, C. (n.d.). HowStuffWorks "Could we clone our organs to be used in a transplant?".HowStuffWorks "Science". Retrieved February 8, 2013, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/genetic/cloned-organ-transplant.htm History of Cloning | Basic Science Partnership at Harvard Medical School. (n.d.). Basic Science Partnership. Retrieved February 8, 2013, from https://bsp.med.harvard.edu/?q=node/18 Jeanty, J. (n.d.). What Is Organ Cloning? | eHow.com. eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. Retrieved February 8, 1013, from http://www.ehow.com/about_4681973_what-organ-cloning.html Koh , C., & Atala, A. (n.d.). Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells, and Cloning: Opportunities for Regenerative Medicine. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Retrieved February 8, 2013, from http://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/15/5/1113.short Levine, A. (n.d.). Cloning-Beginners Guides. Oxford, England: Oneworld. Murnaghan, I. (2012, November 23). Therapeutic Cloning. Understanding Stem Cell Research and Treatments. Retrieved February 8, 2013, from http://www.explorestemcells.co.uk/therapeuticcloning.html Valdez, A. (n.d.). What Is Therapeutic Cloning Used For? | eHow.com. eHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the expert in you. | eHow.com. Retrieved February 8, 2013, from http://www.ehow.com/about_6577837_therapeutic-cloning-used-for_.html