Cloning 8
Cloning 8Cloning Cloning is the production of a group of genetically identical cells or organisms, all descended from a single individual. The members of a clone have precisely the same characteristics, except where mutation and environmentally caused developmental variation have occurred. The DNA is precisley the same and they are only differentiated by their experiences in which dictate their personality. There are some types of natural cloning that nature displays. Some animals have tremendous powers of Regeneration. If the body of certain starfishes is cut up into its five arms, each arm will regenerate a complete individual. Another type of asexual reproduction found in all animals, human beings included, is the formation of identical twins, triplets, and so on. Identical siblings constitute a clone. The growth of a tumor in the body of an individual is, in effect, the formation of a clone of malignant cells. Humans have learned from nature and started their cloning saga also. In one method of artificial cloning used in plant breeding, cells are cut from a plant and placed in a flask with a nutrient medium. The cells grow and divide, forming embryonic tissues that are transferred to soil, where they produce complete plants. Grafting is another method of cloning used in Horticulture. Matching cuts are made in the stems of two plants, which are then fitted together so that their transport systems are in contact. The wounded area heals, and the two stems become a single physiological unit. All the McIntosh apple trees now in use and many other fruit varieties have been derived by grafting from single ancestral trees. "Nuclear transplantation," in which nuclei from cells of one individual are transferred to unfertilized eggs whose nuclei have been removed, is one method of artificial cloning in animals. All the transplanted nuclei are generally identical, and therefore the resultant individuals constitute clones. Great concern has been voiced over the use of Genetic Engineering for humans and animals. One concern is that transgenic animals carry pathogens of their own that may be transferred to humans with unknown consequences. The 1993 cloning of nonviable human embryos has raised considerable ethical questions about the uses of this technology. The regulatory agencies must establish ground rules for the use of these technologies and products. At the same time, genetic technology is not an unmixed blessing. The potential abuses of genetic technology warrant our careful and considered attention. Linkages between genetic screening and abortion, testing and discrimination, and the supposedly positive and negative aspects of the discredited pseudo-discipline of eugenics represent important subjects meriting wider public discussion. No less important are the implications of patenting human genes and genetically engineered animals. Unfortunately, due to the rapid expansion of the technology, we do not have the luxury of discussing these issues in a leisurely manner or one at a time. The breathtaking pace of technological advancement requires that the cultural discourse and the public policy with respect to genetics must develop simultaneously. Human genetic material is routinely patented....
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