Cloning

Dolly became a household name in February of 1997. Dolly, a sheep, the first clone ever created from an adult cell, was created using cells from the udder of a 6 year old adult sheep. To Human Genome Project researchers, cloning refers to copying genes and other pieces of chromosomes to generate enough identical material for further study (17 Oct 2002). This brought to attention of the general public an array of questions and feelings regarding the many aspects of this controversial issue. The issue of cloning cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. Besides the obvious cloning of human beings, there are several other issues to weigh, which include research cloning and stem cell research.

Residents of North America and Europe have consistently opposed reproductive cloning, or in other words, the cloning of humans, by majorities of 85 to 90 percent (18 Oct 2002) The reason most often cited was that is "morally wrong," that it goes against the idea of each human being distinct as an individual (18 Oct 2002). They also stated their opposition due to the idea of it being used for immoral purposes such as creating a superior race and conflicts with their religious beliefs (18 Oct 2002). President Bush has even recently come out against human cloning, saying, ''Our children are gifts to be loved and protected, not products to be designed or manufactured" (Willing). A United Nations task force is also currently trying to create a organization wide ban to human cloning (Willing ).

Beyond the moral objections of the public, there are other aspects of cloning that can be viewed as negative. Cloning animals has been a very difficult and expensive process, Dolly was attempt number 277 at cloning a sheep (Meek, 19 Apr 2002) What about all the attempts that didn't make it all the way, especially if this was a human cloning experiment? Another problem is the life of the cloned creature after it is born. So far the majority of animals cloned have not lived a normal healthy life. . A third of the 70-odd calves to have been born alive from some 9,000 cloned embryos died young, many of them grotesquely large (Meek, 19 Apr 2002). Research on cloned mice in Japan suggests they live sick and die early (Meek, 19 Apr 2002). Dolly has developed an arthritic condition years before usual age, leading some scientists to conclude that clones are doomed to suffer an early grave (Meek, 19 Apr 2002).

Many people think of cloning as an easy way to produce the perfect livestock and animals that provide humans with food. But cloning techniques are still crude in scientific terms, and there has not been time for studies of any possible dangers in consumption of meat or milk of a cloned animal (Leavenworth). But many scientist feel the greater problem is the release or escape of these animals into natural ecosystems (Leavenworth). A Massachusetts company called Aqua Bounty is seeking federal approval to sell a type of fast-growing salmon it engineered, and another company is developing a type of "beneficial insect" for farms that can eat pests but survive pesticides (Leavenworth). As any new introduction into an ecosystem, these un-natural animals could have devastating effects.

Therapeutic cloning is the creation of early-stage human embryos specifically to collect stem cells (Louis, 24 Apr 2002). Stem cells form within the first few days of an embryo's development. The reason they are viewed as important is because with the right manipulation they can form into various kinds of body cells which could lead to cures for many diseases (Louis, 24 Apr 2002). They could replace current living tissue, such as organs needing replacement. Many view this as wrong because it would involve cloning human embryos for the stem cells and then destroying them (Spotts, 21 June 2002).

While some view this as wrong, others see it as a medical breakthrough. Stem cell research and cloning could lead to treatments and cures for many diseases. James Robl at the Connecticut-based company Hematech and his colleagues used artificial chromosomes and cloning technology to create cattle that contained a full suite of functional human antibody genes (Tamiko). Doctors have already begun to start on a genetically compatible pig that would have organs that could be used for humans (Tamiko).

With the ability to clone animals, species would no longer ever need be on the endangered list. To go even farther with that idea, extinct species could be cloned. Scientist in Japan