Research Project on Cloning
Background
Cloning involves removing the nucleus from the unfertilised egg of an organism and introducing this nucleus (which contains DNA) into an egg cell of another organism that does not contain a nucleus. Subsequently, this newly created cell is transplanted into another organism, producing an organism genetically identical to the original one. Benefits of human cloning include the fact that various diseases may become manageable, such as cancer and diabetes. However, there are also disadvantages related to human cloning, one of the biggest is the fact that people are seen to be uniquely created in the image, and by, God. It can be argued that we do not have the right to change the intentions of God in our society. Personally, I believe that the process of human cloning should be restricted to a certain extent. This, to my belief, could create conflict as to what restrictions must be placed upon the process, however if there is no remedy to the problem then it should be banned worldwide. Certainly there are positives involved with the process of human cloning, however I believe that the arguments against human cloning far outweigh the positive functions of it.
Cloning entails isolating and reproducing deoxyribonucleic acid (DINA) from a donor, in order to create an organism that is genetically identical to the donor. The donor’s DNA is introduced into a differentiated cell, which contains no DNA. Differentiation is a natural process, in which cells specialise into a certain kind of cell in order to perform specific functions. Differentiation is an extremely important process, because once cells from a recently fertilised egg differentiate, they “create” organisms. The process of cloning human embryos is extremely similar to the process of cloning animal embryos. In 1996, scientists were able to clone an adult sheep and named it Dolly. Dolly had been cloned from a cell, which had been taken from the adult sheep by the process of nuclear transfer.
In order to create Dolly, initially, the pronucleus (the nucleus of a fertilised egg) from a donor cell, taken from the sheep to be cloned, was removed. Next, an unfertilised egg cell (an oocyte) was taken from another sheep. The nucleus from this oocyte was also removed from the egg cell, creating an enucleated oocyte (an oocyte without a nucleus). Due to the fact that both the nucleus and the pronucleus has been removed, these cells had no chance of developing into an organism, as a cell does not function at all without a nucleus. This nucleus that has been removed, was then placed into the egg cell of the female sheep that had the pronucleus removed. This created a newly structured cell, which now had a different nucleus. The nucleus acts as the “nerve centre” or “brain” of a cell, and controls all the functions within the cell. A tiny pulse of electricity was then shot through the newly structured cell, which activated the process of differentiation of the cells. The egg cell containing the pronucleus was then transplanted into the womb of another female sheep, where it developed into the sheep we now call Dolly. This has led to recent developments in Australia within the area of cloning of other sheep and animals, and has led to arguments both for and against the issue worldwide as to whether the step should be taken to clone humans.
Human cloning is socially relevant today because there have been recent technological advances in the science field, leading to the cloning of various animals. There has also been much talk about whether it is morally right to clone humans, and recently, a family in Melbourne has given the “green light” to clone a child in order to save their oldest daughter from a deadly disease.
Some of the forces making human cloning relevant include scientists and the media. Scientists are endlessly trying to discover possible applications of cloning, whether it be animal or plant. Their intention is to try to find possible cures for diseases, as well as trying to generate possible spare body parts. Another issue making human cloning relevant is the media. They are extremely interested in the issue of human cloning, and have displayed continuous worldwide coverage on the issue.
Impacts Of The Issue
The issue of human cloning would affect many people and organisations, such as the church and other religious groups, the government, and the cloned humans themselves.
The church, as well as many other religious groups would be affected by cloning as they see God as the creator of life. Human cloning would be seen as altering and disrupting the intentions and acts of God, which would undoubtedly result in anger amongst many of the religious leaders of the world.
Government and parliament procedures would also be affected by human cloning. Parliament would have to pass new legislation stating whether, and when human cloning would be allowed, and under what circumstances. If the legislation were to pass, then the government would have enforce it which would result in many legal disputes world wide, landing in Australian courts.
Due to the fact that human cloning has not been formally legalised in any part of the world yet, it is seen that human clones themselves would have no legal rights. An article written by Yomiuri Shimbun, in a Japanese newspaper states, “…according to sources, it would be extremely difficult to define the legal status of a cloned human and protect the human rights of such individuals.”
There are many arguments for the issue of human cloning. One of the strongest arguments for the idea would have to be that the process of human cloning could improve the quality of life for many disease sufferers. For example, it is expected that through the process of human cloning, we will soon be possible to overcome genetic diseases and such diseases as cancer. Dr Richard Seed states that, “Cancerous cells look normal in the early stage of the disease, and then later become deformed. We could take early cancerous cells and replaces their destructive nuclei with a nucleus cloned from a normal cell, thus stopping cancer before it has a chance to keep spreading”. Cloning technology may also be used to detect and possibly cure genetic diseases, such as diabetes, in a similar way.
Additionally, human cloning could mean that many more infertile couples are able to have children. Infertility is caused by genetic defects, or even injuries, to the reproductive organs. With current infertility treatments, couples go through much stress and emotional pain with the knowledge that there is only a small chance that they can actually produce a child. The current Invitro Fertilisation treatment (IVF) is very lengthy and expensive also, and couples would often run out of money and patience without successfully having a child.
Human cloning would possibly allow more infertile couples to have children, and give them a chance to have a child that is genetically related to its parents.
Another advantage for human cloning is the fact that it is possible to generate spare body parts. Human cloning will allow the organ or body part produced to be genetically identical to that of the receiver, therefore helping to eliminate such problems as organ rejection or incompatibility. It would be possible through cloning to grow “spare parts” to be used in organ transplants. Once the cloning of a cell has been done and the cell has begun to divide, it does not necessarily have to grow into an entire person. Through related techniques the cells could be controlled so that they only develop into specialised cells or complete organs.
Just as there are many arguments to support the idea of human cloning, there are many arguments against it also. One of the biggest arguments against the idea of human cloning is the fact that many people believe it is tampering with the intentions of God, as well as providing a loss of self-identity. It is seen by the Church that we are created “in God’s image” (Genesis 1:27) and that God created our world as a complete package. The Church could argue that the package cannot be improved upon at all. The American Life League said, “The potent and universal sign of God’s gift of life is lost when the child’s life begins in a laboratory…” which is seen as true amongst the Church and many other religious groups. Also, God created each and every one of us uniquely, obviously for a reason. We as humans, each have our own self-identity, and if in fact a child were cloned, there is the question of whether the cloned child would have the same identity as the person they were cloned from. This could also possibly lead to two of the same people living at the same time. With this in mind, it is seen that human cloning could cause the loss of individuality among the human race.
Another argument against the idea of human cloning is the subsequent fail rate. Due to the fact that process of cloning is still a relatively new one, it is going to take some time before scientists are fully trained, and can successfully clone a human. With the current techniques, it is inevitable that many humans will come out t deformed, or not at all. Take for example the cloning of Dolly the sheep. Over 270 attempts were needed before she was born. Most of the sheep were born with birth defects and all except Dolly died. That failure rate, while acceptable for animals, is not acceptable for humans.
The fact that people may be cloned unknowingly, against their will, also plays a part in the arguments against human cloning. According to Dorothy Werts, author for Genesage, “Blood taken for medical purposes, or hair left at the barbershop could be stolen. Laws may be necessary to prevent this, by requiring the consent of any person cloned, or the parents of the child to be cloned.”
Management Policies
The issue of human cloning is a very controversial one. It raises many ethical and moral questions as is evident. In managing this issue, we must first decide whether or not it is acceptable in our society, by thoroughly looking at the ethical issues involved. A formal vote could possibly be taken to determine its acceptance in society, if any, and to what degree it should be accepted. Once this is established, a governing body must be formed consisting of members who are well informed of all the issues surrounding human cloning, including the repercussions. This governing body can help develop strict codes and legislation that must be strictly adhered to, and penalties imposed if these codes are breached.
Personally, I believe that the miracle of God is the greatest gift possible to the mother and father having the child, as well as the surrounding people. With this in mind, I don’t think that this gift should be tampered with.
It is immoral and unethical to have two genetically and identically alike people on earth. Both the cloned person and the person that he or she was cloned from would have limited legal rights and representation, as well as being mocked by members of the public against the process of human cloning. However, I also believe that to save a human life by engineering body parts to combat diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and other genetic diseases, is also a miracle in my eyes and should be allowed. Perhaps the cloning of specific body parts would eliminate speculation about cloned humans, and identical people being alive at the same time, and the cloud of ethical and moral dilemmas that surround it.
Cloning involves removing the nucleus from the unfertilised egg of an organism and introducing this nucleus (which contains DNA) into an egg cell of another organism that does not contain a nucleus. Subsequently, this newly created cell is transplanted into another organism, producing an organism genetically identical to the original one. Benefits of human cloning include the fact that various diseases may become manageable, such as cancer and diabetes. However, there are also disadvantages related to human cloning, one of the biggest is the fact that people are seen to be uniquely created in the image, and by, God. It can be argued that we do not have the right to change the intentions of God in our society. Personally, I believe that the process of human cloning should be restricted to a certain extent. This, to my belief, could create conflict as to what restrictions must be placed upon the process, however if there is no remedy to the problem then it should be banned worldwide. Certainly there are positives involved with the process of human cloning, however I believe that the arguments against human cloning far outweigh the positive functions of it.
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Biological Relevance
Cloning entails isolating and reproducing deoxyribonucleic acid (DINA) from a donor, in order to create an organism that is genetically identical to the donor. The donor’s DNA is introduced into a differentiated cell, which contains no DNA. Differentiation is a natural process, in which cells specialise into a certain kind of cell in order to perform specific functions. Differentiation is an extremely important process, because once cells from a recently fertilised egg differentiate, they “create” organisms. The process of cloning human embryos is extremely similar to the process of cloning animal embryos. In 1996, scientists were able to clone an adult sheep and named it Dolly. Dolly had been cloned from a cell, which had been taken from the adult sheep by the process of nuclear transfer.
In order to create Dolly, initially, the pronucleus (the nucleus of a fertilised egg) from a donor cell, taken from the sheep to be cloned, was removed. Next, an unfertilised egg cell (an oocyte) was taken from another sheep. The nucleus from this oocyte was also removed from the egg cell, creating an enucleated oocyte (an oocyte without a nucleus). Due to the fact that both the nucleus and the pronucleus has been removed, these cells had no chance of developing into an organism, as a cell does not function at all without a nucleus. This nucleus that has been removed, was then placed into the egg cell of the female sheep that had the pronucleus removed. This created a newly structured cell, which now had a different nucleus. The nucleus acts as the “nerve centre” or “brain” of a cell, and controls all the functions within the cell. A tiny pulse of electricity was then shot through the newly structured cell, which activated the process of differentiation of the cells. The egg cell containing the pronucleus was then transplanted into the womb of another female sheep, where it developed into the sheep we now call Dolly. This has led to recent developments in Australia within the area of cloning of other sheep and animals, and has led to arguments both for and against the issue worldwide as to whether the step should be taken to clone humans.
Human cloning is socially relevant today because there have been recent technological advances in the science field, leading to the cloning of various animals. There has also been much talk about whether it is morally right to clone humans, and recently, a family in Melbourne has given the “green light” to clone a child in order to save their oldest daughter from a deadly disease.
Some of the forces making human cloning relevant include scientists and the media. Scientists are endlessly trying to discover possible applications of cloning, whether it be animal or plant. Their intention is to try to find possible cures for diseases, as well as trying to generate possible spare body parts. Another issue making human cloning relevant is the media. They are extremely interested in the issue of human cloning, and have displayed continuous worldwide coverage on the issue.
Impacts Of The Issue
The issue of human cloning would affect many people and organisations, such as the church and other religious groups, the government, and the cloned humans themselves.
The church, as well as many other religious groups would be affected by cloning as they see God as the creator of life. Human cloning would be seen as altering and disrupting the intentions and acts of God, which would undoubtedly result in anger amongst many of the religious leaders of the world.
Government and parliament procedures would also be affected by human cloning. Parliament would have to pass new legislation stating whether, and when human cloning would be allowed, and under what circumstances. If the legislation were to pass, then the government would have enforce it which would result in many legal disputes world wide, landing in Australian courts.
Due to the fact that human cloning has not been formally legalised in any part of the world yet, it is seen that human clones themselves would have no legal rights. An article written by Yomiuri Shimbun, in a Japanese newspaper states, “…according to sources, it would be extremely difficult to define the legal status of a cloned human and protect the human rights of such individuals.”
There are many arguments for the issue of human cloning. One of the strongest arguments for the idea would have to be that the process of human cloning could improve the quality of life for many disease sufferers. For example, it is expected that through the process of human cloning, we will soon be possible to overcome genetic diseases and such diseases as cancer. Dr Richard Seed states that, “Cancerous cells look normal in the early stage of the disease, and then later become deformed. We could take early cancerous cells and replaces their destructive nuclei with a nucleus cloned from a normal cell, thus stopping cancer before it has a chance to keep spreading”. Cloning technology may also be used to detect and possibly cure genetic diseases, such as diabetes, in a similar way.
Additionally, human cloning could mean that many more infertile couples are able to have children. Infertility is caused by genetic defects, or even injuries, to the reproductive organs. With current infertility treatments, couples go through much stress and emotional pain with the knowledge that there is only a small chance that they can actually produce a child. The current Invitro Fertilisation treatment (IVF) is very lengthy and expensive also, and couples would often run out of money and patience without successfully having a child.
Human cloning would possibly allow more infertile couples to have children, and give them a chance to have a child that is genetically related to its parents.
Another advantage for human cloning is the fact that it is possible to generate spare body parts. Human cloning will allow the organ or body part produced to be genetically identical to that of the receiver, therefore helping to eliminate such problems as organ rejection or incompatibility. It would be possible through cloning to grow “spare parts” to be used in organ transplants. Once the cloning of a cell has been done and the cell has begun to divide, it does not necessarily have to grow into an entire person. Through related techniques the cells could be controlled so that they only develop into specialised cells or complete organs.
Just as there are many arguments to support the idea of human cloning, there are many arguments against it also. One of the biggest arguments against the idea of human cloning is the fact that many people believe it is tampering with the intentions of God, as well as providing a loss of self-identity. It is seen by the Church that we are created “in God’s image” (Genesis 1:27) and that God created our world as a complete package. The Church could argue that the package cannot be improved upon at all. The American Life League said, “The potent and universal sign of God’s gift of life is lost when the child’s life begins in a laboratory…” which is seen as true amongst the Church and many other religious groups. Also, God created each and every one of us uniquely, obviously for a reason. We as humans, each have our own self-identity, and if in fact a child were cloned, there is the question of whether the cloned child would have the same identity as the person they were cloned from. This could also possibly lead to two of the same people living at the same time. With this in mind, it is seen that human cloning could cause the loss of individuality among the human race.
Another argument against the idea of human cloning is the subsequent fail rate. Due to the fact that process of cloning is still a relatively new one, it is going to take some time before scientists are fully trained, and can successfully clone a human. With the current techniques, it is inevitable that many humans will come out t deformed, or not at all. Take for example the cloning of Dolly the sheep. Over 270 attempts were needed before she was born. Most of the sheep were born with birth defects and all except Dolly died. That failure rate, while acceptable for animals, is not acceptable for humans.
The fact that people may be cloned unknowingly, against their will, also plays a part in the arguments against human cloning. According to Dorothy Werts, author for Genesage, “Blood taken for medical purposes, or hair left at the barbershop could be stolen. Laws may be necessary to prevent this, by requiring the consent of any person cloned, or the parents of the child to be cloned.”
Management Policies
The issue of human cloning is a very controversial one. It raises many ethical and moral questions as is evident. In managing this issue, we must first decide whether or not it is acceptable in our society, by thoroughly looking at the ethical issues involved. A formal vote could possibly be taken to determine its acceptance in society, if any, and to what degree it should be accepted. Once this is established, a governing body must be formed consisting of members who are well informed of all the issues surrounding human cloning, including the repercussions. This governing body can help develop strict codes and legislation that must be strictly adhered to, and penalties imposed if these codes are breached.
Personally, I believe that the miracle of God is the greatest gift possible to the mother and father having the child, as well as the surrounding people. With this in mind, I don’t think that this gift should be tampered with.
It is immoral and unethical to have two genetically and identically alike people on earth. Both the cloned person and the person that he or she was cloned from would have limited legal rights and representation, as well as being mocked by members of the public against the process of human cloning. However, I also believe that to save a human life by engineering body parts to combat diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and other genetic diseases, is also a miracle in my eyes and should be allowed. Perhaps the cloning of specific body parts would eliminate speculation about cloned humans, and identical people being alive at the same time, and the cloud of ethical and moral dilemmas that surround it.
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