Science, Religion, and the Ethics of Cloning essays

Science, Religion, and the Ethics of Cloning essays A sheep named Dolly, a kitten named Cc, and a monkey named Andi are three different animals which look and act exactly like every other member of their species. However, the way these animals came to exist differs greatly. Dolly, Cc, and Andi were all brought into this world by a controversial technique called cloning. Cloning is the process of creating a genetic twin of an organism. The use of cloning can help cure and solve health problems, but it also raises several questions. Is cloning a great way to create and save lives, or is it too close to playing God? Today, the three main types of cloning are embryo cloning, reproductive cloning, and therapeutic cloning. Each type of cloning will reproduce an exact copy of the organism being cloned. Embryo cloning is often called artificial twin cloning because the process is similar to the way identical twins are formed. A sperm cell and an egg cell are taken by in vitro fertilization and placed into a dish. Chemicals are then added to the zygote, which allows it to divide into two cells, then four, eight, and so on. So far, the divided zygote has not been able to develop into an actual fetus, but it has created many positive results. Embryo cloning has allowed scientists to experiment using pigs for human genes. The pigs' heart, liver, and kidneys might be useable in human transplants. If possible, this would save the lives of many waiting for organ transplants. Embryo cloning also gives doctors a better understanding of miscarriages. This might lead to a treatment preventing spontaneous abortions. It would also give immense help to women who cannot bring a fetus to term. Other uses of embryo cloning are studies of certain cancers, sterilization, and the passing of genes from parent to child. The second kind of cloning, reproductive cloning, is used to make an animal that has the same nuclear DNA as another current, existing animal. The process of reproductive cloning is ...