Have you ever heard of Dolly the sheep? If not, you should be aware that Dolly was the first successful attempt at cloning. When a person or animal is cloned, a carbon copy of them is essentially made. There has been a great amount of debate in this area concerning whether cloning humans is right or wrong.
What is Cloning Humans?
Humans are cloned by taking a sample of their DNA. An egg and sperm are combined in a dish, just as they are for the purpose of invitro fertilization, but the DNA is striped from the embryo, and the DNA that will be cloned is added back. There are very long scientific and technical descriptions of what is done, and how it is done, but this is essentially what is happening.
This, of course, results in a baby once the embryo has been placed in a viable uterus, and the traditional nine months have passed. This baby will have the exact DNA as the person the DNA was taken from. The DNA could even be altered if the ‘sample’ person has a genetic defect to correct this defect in the clone. This baby, however, will grow to have his or her own thoughts, feelings, and opinions, as all human beings do.
The Purpose of Cloning Humans
There are many arguments for cloning humans that are quite reasonable. For example, we could essentially wipe out many diseases. If a person develops cancer, healthy cells could be taken from the clone to cure it. It has even been said that this scientific process could be used to replace a child who has died – although anyone who has lost a child can tell you that there is no replacement, and the science can also be used to prevent animals from becoming extinct, and even to bring back some animals that are already extinct.
The Arguments against Cloning Humans
Cloning humans could be dangerous, and it could violate the most basic rights of those individuals who happen to be the clones. Many people will clone themselves or loved ones for the sole purpose of having spare body parts, and this is highly unethical. Because DNA is used so widely now to solve crimes, this could also deter that effort, since DNA would no longer be unique to each person.
Human cloning, or genetic engineering, is not regulated or banned in any country in the world. This lack of regulation could also result in disaster. When you consider whether you agree with human cloning, or whether you think that it is ethically and morally wrong, you must strongly consider the rights and consequences for the resulting clone.
Have you ever heard of Dolly the sheep? If not, you should be aware that Dolly was the first successful attempt at cloning. When a person or animal is cloned, a carbon copy of them is essentially made. There has been a great amount of debate in this area concerning whether cloning humans is right or wrong.
What is Cloning Humans?
Humans are cloned by taking a sample of their DNA. An egg and sperm are combined in a dish, just as they are for the purpose of invitro fertilization, but the DNA is striped from the embryo, and the DNA that will be cloned is added back. There are very long scientific and technical descriptions of what is done, and how it is done, but this is essentially what is happening.
This, of course, results in a baby once the embryo has been placed in a viable uterus, and the traditional nine months have passed. This baby will have the exact DNA as the person the DNA was taken from. The DNA could even be altered if the ‘sample’ person has a genetic defect to correct this defect in the clone. This baby, however, will grow to have his or her own thoughts, feelings, and opinions, as all human beings do.
The Purpose of Cloning Humans
There are many arguments for cloning humans that are quite reasonable. For example, we could essentially wipe out many diseases. If a person develops cancer, healthy cells could be taken from the clone to cure it. It has even been said that this scientific process could be used to replace a child who has died – although anyone who has lost a child can tell you that there is no replacement, and the science can also be used to prevent animals from becoming extinct, and even to bring back some animals that are already extinct.
The Arguments against Cloning Humans
Cloning humans could be dangerous, and it could violate the most basic rights of those individuals who happen to be the clones. Many people will clone themselves or loved ones for the sole purpose of having spare body parts, and this is highly unethical. Because DNA is used so widely now to solve crimes, this could also deter that effort, since DNA would no longer be unique to each person.
Human cloning, or genetic engineering, is not regulated or banned in any country in the world. This lack of regulation could also result in disaster. When you consider whether you agree with human cloning, or whether you think that it is ethically and morally wrong, you must strongly consider the rights and consequences for the resulting clone.