Human Cloning: Pros and Cons Around This Debatable Topic

Nowadays, the world facing a severe global issue which is the extinction problem. Climate change or human killing caused more and more species to extinct. There are between 200 and 2,000 extinctions that occur every year, one-quarter of all assessed species of mammals are in danger. This issue can be caused by the unbalance of the natural system. However, Cloning can help solve this issue. The process of human cloning has different pros and cons, however in this essay we will delve into three types of cloning as well as what benefits and drawbacks we can gain from this process. 

Cloning right now has become a scorching topic. Cloning is a new technology that can take the genetic information from one living thing, and create identical copies of it. Even this is more new technology; nature has been doing it for millions of years. With the development of this new technology, more and more people start to argue should this technique be allowed or not. It can bring both negative and positive effects on society. This new technology can help solve the issue of disease and illness. However, many people pointed out that it has some ethical issues.

There are a total of three types of different cloning. The first type of cloning is Gene cloning. The genetic engineer takes DNA from an organism, and snip the strand into gene-size pieces. Small bites of DNA plasmids in the bacterial cells are combined with the genes. Then they were transformed into the living bacteria, the bacteria can be propagated to make millions of copies of the plasmids for modification and transformation. The second type of cloning is reproductive cloning. It is mean a genetic engineer removes any cell except for reproductive cells which is the mature somatic cell from an organism after this transfers the DNA into an egg cell that has had its own DNA removed. Then they will start the reproductive process. Lastly, implant the egg in a female uterus of the same species as the egg. The last one is called Therapeutic cloning, which is similar to the reproductive cloning.

Human Cloning: Pros and Cons of This Debate

As the extinction problem has become a very secure global issue, nowaday many species have been in danger, and the population of these species has been drop-down rapidly. However, cloning technology can help solve this issue. In 2017, the scientist in Shanghai had successfully cloned two genetically identical long-tailed macaques, a small brown and black monkeys with body lengths of 16 to 28 inches. From 1996, the scientist also cloned at least 20 different species of the animal, this included gods, mice, cows, frogs, and rabbits. November 27, 2017, China come up with the first primates born using Dolly the sheep cloning method, two monkeys called “Zhong Zhong” and “Hua Hua” is a success. This technique involves removing the nucleus from an unfertilized egg and replacing it with that from a cell taken from the body of the individual to be cloned. This fact shows that cloning technology actually has the ability to help raise the population of those species in danger, and it can clone a very variety of animal species, and help balance the natural. Not just for help rising the animal’s population, it also helps the human population, as now the population aging also becomes very serious so that many governments encourage citizens to have a baby or their second children plan.

Another positive impact of cloning is this technology can help solve the infertility problem. This is for someone who is suffered from infertility problems or same-sex couples, they can have children from cloned cells. So for some families that would like to have the children but did not have the ability to childbirth, this technology can provide help to them. And can also enhance and advance human development. Cloning has led to scores of important medicine and newly developed therapies, such as human insulin, interferon to fight viral infections, and blood growth factors such as erythropoietin to generate new red blood cells.

However, many people have argued that this cloning technology has some ethical issues. One of the biggest negative impacts of Cloning is that human cloning contravenes nature, because it is not produced by nature, is done by men or women. This might be caused some conflict that happened in society. Human cloning comes up with many ethical issues. It can be caused by the family unstable. Everyone has their own relationship like a parent, sister. However, what is the relationship between cloning humans and donors? Leon Kass has said this “Cloning looks like a degrading of parenthood and a perversion of the right relation between parents and children.” Every life and individual is unique, but cloning is the exact copy of the donor. This will lead to the problems of is the cloning people count as natural people? Who is the guardian of the cloning people? Do they have Financial inheritance? And do they have the ability to educate the cloning people? These are some ethical problems that still cannot be answered. In 2015, there already are about 70 countries publish the laws clearly state the prohibit of cloning, not cloning should be allowed.

Another significant negative impact is the health issue. A study by French scientists has suggested that Cloning may cause long term health defects. A two-month-old calf, cloned from genes taken from the ear of an adult cow, died after developing blood and heart problems. It shows that cloning will affect the interfered with the normal genetic functioning of the developing calf, so in order to used cloning to clon the animals to solve the Extinction problem, the animals might also have the health issue and die. It is a huge risk for health. There are various defects in vital organs (such as liver, brain, and heart) after birth. Also, some health consequences include premature aging and immune system problems. These are some negative side effects of the cloning.

Conclusion

Should Cloning technology still be used is still a very debatable topic. We can see that it bring both negative and positive impact on society and the world. As the Extinction problem and population aging, this two-issue have to be solved, Cloning technology is a very important step for solving these two issues fast, and bring the development of the medicine. However, we still can see that this technology is not totally consummate, there are still some dangers and risks for the health issue and ethical issue. We have to say Cloning technologies are essential tools; without them, modern biology would still be the stuff of science fiction.

References

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• Brenner, Laurie. “The Pros & Cons of Cloning.” ​Sciencing​, 2 Mar. 2019, sciencing.com/pros-cons-cloning-5453902.html.
• Hrubenja, Aleksandar, et al. “46 Crucial Endangered Species Statistics for 2020 and Beyond.” Petpedia​, 28 Feb. 2020, petpedia.co/endangered-species-statistics/.
• Davis, Nicola. “Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua: First Primates Born Using Dolly the Sheep Cloning Method.” ​The Guardian​, Guardian News and Media, 24 Jan. 2018, www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jan/24/zhong-zhong-and-hua-hua-first-primates-born-using-dolly-the-sheep-cloning-method.
• Chief, Editor in. “23 Major Human Cloning Pros and Cons.” ​ConnectUS​, 12 Mar. 2019, connectusfund.org/23-major-human-cloning-pros-and-cons.
• “Positive And Negative Effects Of Cloning Biology Essay.” ​UKEssays.com​, www.ukessays.com/essays/biology/positive-and-negative-effects-of-cloning-biology-essay.php​.
• Jones, Judy. “Cloning May Cause Health Defects.” ​BMJ : British Medical Journal​, British Medical Journal, 8 May 1999, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1115633/.