Cloning
Essay by 24 • August 24, 2010 • 1,138 Words (5 Pages) • 2,719 Views
Someone once said that if you give someone an inch they would take a foot. Biotechnologist would like to receive an inch of allowance from the government to start the cloning process here in the United States. The fear, however, that cloning may become too advanced is a relevant response. Cloning is the copying of genes, or DNA, of one organism to be used in the creation of an identical one. It is similar to genetic engineering, which is the manipulation of the genes. HOW IS CLONING DONE Cloning is said to be used for many positive reasons, but the fact remains that it has an equal, if not greater amount of negative side effects. Cloning is a field of science that is being taken too far and without strict regulations; it can lead to detrimental outcomes.
Many people state that if cloning were available then the medical field be more productive and successful than it is now. The reason is that cloning can produce human beings as well as animals that can be used for testing. Testing that can lead to the discovery of the causes of damaging diseases and defects in humans and animals alike. The testing would be performed on the cloned humans and animals. PUT IN INFO ABOUT HOW THEY FIND OUT ABOUT DISEASES!
Another supposed benefit of cloning would be the reinstatement of animals that have once thought to be extinct or are currently listed as endangered. These animals through DNA that has been preserved or discovered can be recreated. For example, like in the Steven Spielberg's movie Jurassic Park, dinosaurs were recreated through DNA found in a preserved mosquito, which had extracted blood from the dinosaur millions of years ago. Likewise, animals such as the Dodo bird that are extinct or the giant panda that is on the verge of being extinct can be recreated and brought back to life in the world.
Finally, another popular reason that people are pushing to allow cloning is to aid in the production of organs. It has been said that human torsos can be recreated to allow for the use of the organs from the "body." These torsos could be created to match up with all blood types. In turn, the organs and tissue from the "body" could be used for people who wait years for organs that they so desperately need. This type of cloning could also aid the medical field in the production of extremities that may be needed for people who currently rely on artificial limbs.
All these points about discovery of diseases, reinstating extinct animals, and creation of desperate organs are excellent, but the fact is that they cannot be done and for many reasons. The main reason is that if cloning is allowed a little bit, it will go to far. Cloning that is allowed for these reasons would soon push to open the doors to other forms of cloning, maybe perhaps unnatural species. Will cloning become a franchise? Is it ethical to clone a human, a being that has the ability to think for itself? What about what happened in Jurassic Park? It all seems far-fetched or is it? Was it not cloning that was thought to be just like going to the moon, impossible. Well we've been to the moon and back and cloning is just around the corner. These are just a few reasons why cloning must be kept under strict regulations in order to avoid a disaster.
In the movie, Jurassic Park the film ends with the dinosaurs being able to escape from what was thought to be an inescapable compound. Again, this may be one of the excuses used to push cloning ahead. Imagine a similar situation in the real world that would lead to a total disaster. Similarly to the movie, what if a biotechnologist wanted to create a crossbreed between a cow and zebra? If there are not strict regulations then who knows maybe the scientist could crossbreed a human with a horse. It may
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