Mikayla lemons

Eng 112

Argumentative Essay

Oct.30 2019 Lemons 1

Save Cloning For The Future

One day there will be a cloned twin of everyone walking the streets? A clone is an

organism that has the same genetic makeup as the original it was derived from and cloning is “a

number of different processes that can be used to produce genetically identical copies of a

biological organism” (National Human Genome Research Institute). There are many positive and

negative aspects of cloning. Some believe that the science behind cloning could help us create

organs for transplant patients; while others believe that cloning is a violation against human

nature. Cloning overall can be beneficial but is not yet perfected so the cons outweigh the pros.

Basic information on cloning

Cloning all started back in the 5000 B.C when humans discovered they could improve

corn crops by planting seeds from the best corn (cloning historical timeline). Now by 2018, we

have discovered many ways we can use cloning to benefit humans and other organisms also. The

first successful clone was a sheep named “Dolly”, which was cloned back in 1970 and took 277

attempts or tries before researchers were actually successful(cloning: Right or Wrong). Although

researchers have successfully cloned animals and still are “ninety-five to ninety-seven percent of

animal cloning attempts still end in failure”(Why Human Cloning Must Be Banned Now).

Although cloning may seem crazy it actually occurs naturally in nature, ever heard of genetically

identical twins or asexual reproduction in some plants or bacteria that is cloning just not in a lab

by humans. Overall though cloning is still a working process and still needs an abundance of
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research to be done before we start using cloning processes to benefit humans, but in the long

run, cloning will be an astonishing process that all people will eventually agree with.

DNA Cloning

DNA cloning can be used in a couple of different ways like making human proteins (such

as insulin), gene therapy, and gene analysis(Khan Academy). This type of cloning can help make

human proteins (like insulin) to help people like diabetics who lack insulin. Gene therapy DNA

cloning is when you transplant a normal cell in place of a defective cell to correct genetic

disorders. Gene therapy can be helpful to those who are born with a genetic disorder from one or

both parents by providing a normal copy of the harmful gene to the cells of the patient's body.

Gene analysis DNA cloning is used to “..build artificial, recombinant versions of genes that help

them understand how normal genes in an organism function..” (Khan Academy). Gene analysis

can be used to help researchers and scientists develop a better understanding of genes and how

they function in the body.

Therapeutic Cloning

Therapeutic cloning produces embryonic stem cells with the same DNA as the donor cell.

These cells are used in experiments to help understand diseases and to help develop new

treatments for those diseases. Although there is no evidence that human embryos have been

produced for therapeutic cloning there are still many potential benefits and drawbacks that could

be possible. Some of the possible benefits are that researchers could take and use embryonic

stem cells which can generate into any type of cell and grow healthy tissues in a lab that can be

used to replace any injured or diseased tissues. Another possible benefit to therapeutic cloning is

a scientist will be able to learn more about the molecular causes of disease by studying the
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embryonic cell line from cloned stem cells from diseased animals or humans. Therapeutic

cloning can also be used for testing therapeutic drugs. The most concerning part about

therapeutic cloning or really the drawbacks is the striking similarities between stem cells and

cancer cells. Studies show that after 60 cycles of cell division stem cells can have mutations that

could lead to cancer. So the relationship between stem cells and cancer needs to be more clearly

understood before we start using them to treat human diseases.

Reproductive cloning

“In reproductive cloning, researchers remove a mature somatic cell, such as a skin cell,

from an animal that they wish to copy. They then transfer the DNA of the donor animal's somatic

cell into an egg cell, or oocyte, that has had its own DNA-containing nucleus removed”

(National Human Genome Research Institute). Like DNA and therapeutic cloning reproductive

cloning also has positives and negatives. Cloning can benefit us humans in many ways like in the

field of medicine or in agriculture. For example, the scientist has cloned sheep like“Dolly” that

have been genetically modified to produce milk that contains a human protein essential for blood

clotting. Also, the FDA has approved that meat and milk from cloned animals are safe which

means researchers can now use cloning to make copies of animals with desirable traits for

agricultural purposes ( high milk production and lean meat cows)(Why Clone). Another

advantage reproductive cloning has is the possibility of creating clones of endangered species

and extinct or deceased animals. Although there are many positives to reproductive cloning it

also has many drawbacks to it that outweigh the positives considering that it took 277 attempts to

create the cloned sheep Dolly, which means this type of cloning is not very safe and not quite

ready to be used yet. Researchers have also observed health defects in cloned mammals which
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includes an increase in birth size and a large number of effects in the vital organs. Some other

defects that were seen are premature aging or early death because cloned organism chromosomes

have a shorter life span because they are shorter. Reproductive cloning should not be used until it

is perfected because of all of the health risks.

Human cloning

When cloning is mentioned most people's minds go straight to human cloning, which is

part of the reproductive cloning process. Although you may think of this as the normal type of

cloning it is actually illegal. The government proposed a law called The Cloning Prohibition Act

Of 1997 which was made by President Bill Clinton. The government proposed this law because

they say human cloning is a way more difficult process that creating “Dolly” and there is a

potentially greater risk with humans considering the fact that it took 277 attempts to create

“Dolly”. Also, the government was concerned about the disappearance of individuality if human

cloning became a common practice. Human cloning is illegal, yes, but it also has numerous ways

it can aid scientists in scientific development and help the advancement of scientific knowledge

of humans. It can help by allowing the rebirth of deceased loved ones (human) or pets and cure

diseases that are genetically related. Cloning can also prevent endangered species from going

extinct and to be a little more logical it can help allow doctors to research and determine the

cause of spontaneous abortions as well as research rapid cell growth of cancer cells. Human

cloning is sort of beneficial in those ways but it can also have its downfalls. A downfall may

include the lack of genetic diversity “the world will become an ideal living environment with

"perfect people" that are all genetically alike.” Another downfall of human cloning could be

more crimes or fraud by selling stolen or defected clones on the black market and since a perfect
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human can be made those without the desired trait will not be socially accepted which is already

an issue today but could get worse. Doctors and scientists even say human cloning is not worth

investing in the majority of scientists no longer think it is possible or practical to treat patients

with cells derived from cloned embryos. Overall human cloning is not reasonable and is in no

way safe to experiment with.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cloning has many ups and downs as well as many different types of

cloning, but overall I do not think cloning is a good and safe thing to do. In the future, if the

technology is more advanced and we know a lot more about cloning it may be a good idea other

than actual human cloning. Also to add a last little bit to all of this information cloning would

cause much conflict and argument considering whether people think it is ethical or not like for

example therapeutic cloning while offering the potential for treating humans suffering from

disease or injury, would require the destruction of human embryos in the test tube. Consequently,

opponents argue that using this technique to collect embryonic stem cells is wrong, regardless of

whether such cells are used to benefit sick or injured people. Overall cloning is a no for me.
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Work Cited

“Cloning Fact Sheet.” National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI),

www.genome.gov/25020028/cloning-fact-sheet/​.

“Cloning Historical Timeline.” Www.nsta.org,

www.nsta.org/images/news/legacy/scope/0603/cloningtimeline.pdf​.

“Cloning: Right or Wrong.” Cloning: Right or Wrong | Serendip Studio,

serendipstudio.org/exchange/serendipupdate/cloning-right-or-wrong.

Fiester, Autumn. "ETHICAL ISSUES IN ANIMAL CLONING." Perspectives in Biology and

Medicine, vol. 48, no. 3, 2005, pp. 328-43. ProQuest,

https://login.proxy039.nclive.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/233165

962?accountid=10163​.

“Overview: DNA Cloning.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy,

www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/biotech-dna-technology/dna-cloning-tutorial/a/o

verview-dna-cloning​.

Weldon, Dave. “Why Human Cloning Must Be Banned Now.” Dignity, 31 Mar. 2002,

https://cbhd.org/content/why-human-cloning-must-be-banned-now​.

“Why Clone?” Learn Genetics, learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cloning/whyclone/.

Yang, R., Bi, L., & Zhang, X. (2013). A novel T-type overhangs improve the enzyme-free

cloning of PCR products. Molecular Biotechnology, 55(1), 10-6.

doi:​http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12033-012-9597-5
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