essay on should human cloning be allowed
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In the year 1952, the first successful cloning procedure took place. This was done on a tadpole embryo. Soon after, there were many hullabaloos about the possibility of cloning other animals with human beings included. Much intensive research on this technology began, and in the year 1996, the first clone of a sheep was done. Its name was Dolly. However, this sheep only lived for six years and died in the year 2003.
Since then, there has been a serious debate on the ethicality of any cloning activities, especially by the religious community. This led to the establishment of the cloning prohibition act that took effect in the year 2009.
The proper definition of cloning is the reproduction of a replicate organism without fertilization or fusion of gonad cells. Somatic cells from a donor are extracted, and the nucleus is fused with that of a host egg using in vitro fertilization. Fertilization then occurs leading to the development of a blastocyst which then develops into an embryonic cell. The resulting organism then turns out to be genetically identical to the donor.
However, this creates a big issue. All human beings, as well as other living organisms, have a unique genetic makeup. Cloning will create many issues when it comes to the unique identification of persons.
There is another type of cloning known as cosmetic cloning. This is whereby a cell nucleus is extracted from the body of a host and implanted into a donor’s egg cell. After the blastocyst forms, it gets extracted for use in other purposes. The reason for this is that the cells within a blastocyst are not yet differentiated. This means that they can grow into any specialized tissues.
This method of cloning has many potential benefits, especially in the medical field. Damaged organs can be replaced or cloned thus saving lives. The method can also be used to treat diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. In cases whereby a person experiences loss of specialized tissues through an accident or a disease, this method can be very appropriate in the regeneration of such specialized tissues that the body cannot naturally regenerate.
One good example is in the regeneration of nervous tissues especially those at the spinal cord. This has the potential of bringing hope to millions of people who are paralyzed through enabling them to live a normal life.
However, there are several challenges involved in cloning. For one, the technology is still at its infancy. The procedures are not 100% effective; thus, do not guarantee complete success in the procedure. This leaves much room for grave errors that can have dire consequences both at present and in the future. For example, scientists have not yet found a way of effectively splitting the telomeres during cell division.
Another problem is the fear of the unknown. Cloning might involve altering the genetic material of a person to get rid of unwanted traits. Furthermore, when this is done on a germ cell, the traits can be carried forward to future generations.
Therefore, the issue of cloning is still under serious debate by scientists, professionals and even within academic institutions as well as politics. Currently, cloning is illegal across 23 countries. Whether or not the practice will become universally acceptable is still under serious debate.
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