What Is the Meaning of Cloning?
The practice of cloning has been around since the 1970s within the field of molecular biology. Scientific experimentation has always been viewed as a reliable means of understanding how the physical world works. Today's advances in scientific experimentation have brought the issue of cloning under question in terms of the ethics involved and the meaning of the practice itself.
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Identification
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In its most basic form, cloning is the process of duplicating biological material. The most successful attempt at cloning was carried out in 1997 when Dolly the sheep became the first mammal to be duplicated. There are three different types of cloning--recombinant DNA technology, reproductive, and therapeutic. Dolly was the result of reproductive cloning. The success of the 1997 experiment raised a number of concerns regarding the ethics behind the practice, as well as its scientific implications. It was at this time that the meaning, ethics, of cloning became a topic of debate and concern.
History
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Plants were the first organisms used in the practice of laboratory cloning. The first carrot plant was successfully duplicated in 1958 by F.C. Steward by growing single cells inside a culture environment. In 1964, John B. Gurdon successfully cloned the first animal by transferring intestinal cells from toads into embryonic cell material, and then incubating the eggs. In 1994, both the United States and Switzerland are credited with cloning the first mammals. Mice were the subjects of these experiments, which were carried out in the same way that the toad experiment was done. The cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1997 was accomplished by implanting adult stem cells into an egg cell. This marked the first use of adult stem cells in reproductive cloning.
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Methods
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Each method of cloning has its own process and purpose. The recombinant DNA technology method is also known as gene cloning. Researchers work with DNA strand material, isolating certain genes and cloning these materials for use in future research. Reproductive cloning involves the use of genetic material for the purpose of creating a duplicate organism, like a mammal, or a plant. Therapeutic cloning makes use of stem cell materials to create cells, or tissues. Cell and tissue material is then used as a treatment for people who have damaged organs or cell formations.
Issues
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The issue that came to the forefront after Dolly's appearance was the possibility of human cloning. Science was at a point where further advancement meant pushing the lines between discovery and ethics. At stake was the unprecedented progress that could be made in understanding the human genome and the potential advancements that could be made in medicine. However, the concern about possible abuses that could be made through the practice of cloning--and quality of life for the "clone"-- proved too large to overlook. An understanding of the meaning of cloning is needed to determine the right way to proceed.
Public Policy
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Issues in public policy concerning the practice of cloning involve its use in duplicating humans, as well as its use with human embryonic stem cells. The ethical implications for both human and embryonic cloning continues to be debated. At the heart of the embryonic stem cell debate is the question of "when does life begin." The issues that relate to human cloning are concerned with quality of life as it relates to the "clone," as well as the average number of attempts required to achieve a successful outcome. In the case of Dolly, researchers underwent 277 failed experiments before succeeding. It's assumed that numerous attempts will also be required to successfully clone a human.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Kaibara87: flickr.com---Plant cells used in research
