Cloning--Our Next Generation
Some people believe that biologists are cloning human embryos only to see how far they can go, but in actuality, there are many legitimate reasons for investing cloning. Embryologists believe that research into cloning could help improve the life of future generations. I believe this is the main concern of most scientists. The idea that humans may one day be cloned-- created either in part or whole to be genetically identical to the original plant or animal from a single somatic cell without sexual reproduction--became a more realistic dream on February 23, 1997. On that date, the news broke that Ian Wilmut and his colleagues at the Roslin Insitute were about to announce the successful cloning of a sheep by a new technique. This technique had never before been successful on mammals. It was called somatic cell nuclear transfer. The technique involved transplanting the genetic material of an adult sheep into an egg from which the nucleus had been removed. The resulting birth of the sheep, named Dolly, was born on July 5, 1996. However, Dolly was different from prior attempts to create identical offspring. Dolly only contained the genetic material of one parent and was, therefore, a "delayed" genetic t
Still others accept the special status of an embryo as a potential human being. Yet, they argue that they respect due to the embryo increases as it develops. In this respect, in the early stages in particular, they agree that this may properly be weighed against the potential benefits arising from the proposed research. This is the position on which I stand. I believe that the older and more mature an embryo becomes, the more respect is due to it. If the benefits were not so extraordinary, the means would not be as significant. With the possibility of curing diseases, preventing genetic disorders, and perfectly matched organ replacements at command, I don't see how one can be against all aspects of cloning. The moral dilemma that society now faces is where the line must be drawn. Some scientists and others, however, argue that the embryo requires and deserves no particular moral attention whatsoever. They believe that an embryo is simply a collection of cells containing DNA, not much different from skin cells that each person sheds by the millions from day to day. It is composed of a few cells with no internal organs, arms, legs, sensory organs, brain, or self-awareness. It may eventually become a person, but only if allowed to mature in a woman's uterus. Personhood comes later in gestation, perhaps when the fetus looks like a human, or when the brain develops to become conscious of itself, or at birth. Thus again the question-- Is an embryo a human being and if so, when? There are however four sources from which perfectly matched organs might be created. This would presumably prevent organ rejection. The first is cloning, or through cell nuclear transplant. The nucleus in an ovum is removed and replaced by the nucleus of an adult cell from the patient. The second is from bone marrow and some other adult tissues. These are expected to have limited usefulness. The third is from mature adult tissue cells that have been reprogrammed to behave like stem cells. This source is purely speculative at this time. The last source is from the umbilical cord collected at birth. These stem cells also seem to have limited flexibility and usefulness. Embryos seem to be the only source of stem cells that would have wide potential in therapeutic cloning. If therapeutic cloning using embryos were successful, then perfectly matched organ replacements would become freely available to sick and dying people. This would save countless numbers of lives and increase the quality of life more many more. The use of insulin secreting cells for diabetes may be produced. Another possibility is nerve cells in stroke or Parkinson's disease. Yet another may include replacing liver cells to repair a damaged organ. While these are wonderful expectations for the future, there are also many moral dilemmas that must first be overcome. There are two ver
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1916
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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