Human Cloning

Cloning is an asexual reproduction. Human cloning is the most controversial

and hot debate topic of the modern society. Humans have made everything
from high tech objects to reaching far space planets in spaceship. Human
cloning is creating identical copy of a human. It could also mean to reproduce
human cells and tissues. It does not refer to the natural conception and
delivery of identical twins. The possibility of human cloning has raised
controversies. These ethical concerns have prompted several nations to pass
laws regarding human cloning and its legality. There are two commonly
discussed types of theoretical human cloning are: therapeutic cloning and
reproductive cloning. Therapeutic cloning would involve cloning cells from a
human for use in medicine and transplants, and is an active area of research,
but is not in medical practice anywhere in the world, as of 2014. Two common
methods of therapeutic cloning that are being researched are somatic-cell
nuclear transfer and, more recently, pluripotent stem cell induction. On July 5,
1996, the most famous sheep in modern history was born. Ian Wilmut and a
group of Scottish scientists announced that they had successfully cloned a
sheep named Dolly by the process of somatic-cell nuclear transfer.
Reproductive cloning would involve making an entire cloned human, instead
of just specific cells or tissues. Scientists have cloned a variety of animals,
including mice, sheep, pigs, cows and dogs. In 2006, scientists cloned the
first primate embryos of a rhesus monkey. Then, in early 2008, the FDA
officially deemed milk and meat products from cloned animals and their
offspring safe to eat.
There are many benefits of human cloning that will benefit humans. Scientists
believe that it might be possible to reverse the aging process because of
human cloning process. Scientists believe that they may be able to treat heart
attack victims by cloning their healthy heart cells and injecting them into the
areas of the heart that have been damaged. There has been a breakthrough
with human stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can be grown to produce
organs or tissues to repair or replace damaged ones. With the help of cloning
infertile couples could have children. Victims in accidents do not have to go
through plastic and reconstructive surgery. Most likely their facial features will
be able to be repaired and recreated by tissues that match their cells. Our
defective genes could be corrected by cloning. We may also be able to clone
liver and kidneys for transplants. We should be able to clone the bone
marrow for children and adults suffering from leukemia. We may learn to grow

nerves or the spinal cord back again when they are injured. Quadriplegics
might be able to get out of their wheelchairs and walk again. The benefits are
so many and they are really due to cloning technology.
There are many disadvantage of cloning. Human cloning might violate moral
and human rights. Cloning could bring psychological problems and stress
among clones because they might think that their life is already laid out
before them and they might feel inferior about their identity. Human cloning
procedures carry numerous risk and danger to ones life. Some of the
procedures are very unique and never done. Human cloning reduces the
worth of individuals in our society. A human life is precious but when replaced
by clones make human life nothing better than object. Human cloning would
divert resources from other more important social and medical needs. Human
cloning might be used by commercial interests for financial gain. The
embryos could be bought and sold, which would lead to financial gain.
Human cloning might be used by government or other groups for immoral or
exploitative purposes. Human cloning used on a very widespread basis would
have disastrous effect on the human gene pool by reducing genetic diversity
and our capacity to adapt to new conditions. Like many cloned plants, human
may face extinction if evolution is not allowed to follow its proper course of
action.
Sources:
Human cloning. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_cloning
Smith
S.
The
benefits
of
human
cloning.
Retrieved
from
http://www.humancloning.org/benefits.html
Cons.
Retrieved
from
http://www.as.wvu.edu/~kgarbutt/EvolutionPage/Studentsites/cloningpage/CO
NS2.html