Cloning

Abstract

This paper describes about the cloning techniques, its benefits, its history, its position in bioethical committees and the opposing arguments it is facing in most countries of be world.Cloning

Introduction

In 1997, the first sheep Dolly was cloned, which brought an idea of the possibility of human cloning. However, the idea of human cloning rose in 1966, when biologist Joshua Lederberg, published the advantages of human cloning. In the 1970s, David Rorvik, published a book on human cloning, however, scientist have not succeeded yet in making human clones (Wimmer, 2008).

In 1997, when scientist Ian Wilmut at Roslin Institute in Scotland cloned a lamb, Dolly, introduced the concept of cloning in world. Before this, it was regarded to be impossible; but this invention has opened doors for human cloning. The question arises that whether the human cloning is ethical, it should be allowed or not? (Wimmer, 2008).

Discussion

Cloning is the creation of identical organisms. It involves the process of somatic cell nuclear transfer, which is the process of transfer of nucleus from a donor somatic cell into an oocyte of another cell. In other words, cloned organism has the same genome as its parent.  

The first phase of cloning is to get eggs from a female. From the nucleus of these eggs the mother's DNA is taken out, and is replaced by the DNA of a cell from the another organism to be copied(Johnson, 2011).The adult cell is placed in contact with the egg, and a electric current is passed through cells, which fuss the egg and the adult cell together, and the embryo begins its development. The egg is then implanted into a surrogate mother. This is repeated many times to produce genetically identical clones. Most people in the world are opposed to human cloning. The US National Bioethics Advisory Committee, has strongly opposed human cloning, due to ethical and social reasons.

In all the experiments of cloning, the donor nucleus was extracted from an embryo. Embryonic cells have undergone few gene expression changes and they were re-programmed, to again the start the process (Johnson, 2011). Before the cloning of Dolly, it was thought impossible to re-program the cells. In 1997, scientists had also cloned mice, cows, rats, goats, and donkeys using the same techniques. Since then, there have been various claims regarding the creation of human clones. In 2001, South Korean scientists claimed for such discovery, but laboratory was closed by their government. ...