In fulfillment of Middle Term Paper

REPRODUCTIVE CLONING:

AN ANALYSIS OF LIFE

Proponents:

Peña, Precious Jewel

Revilla, Shaina

Malunes, John Aaron

Submitted to:

Ms. Trisha Mae Santos

 Reproduction promotes genetic diversity and evolution. Through
sexual reproduction, people inherit a unique set of genes from their
parents, that end up resulting in children with a variety of characteristics.
On the other hand, there is what we call “Reproductive Cloning “. The
scientific process of creating an identical replica of a living organism is
known as cloning. Reproductive cloning involves transferring a somatic
cell’s nucleus into an egg cell, creating a replica of the original organism.
Diploid somatic cells provide genetic material, allowing somatic cell
nuclear transfer (SCNT) to be used to create clones. The cloning process
has sparked a lot of debate and interest in the science community since
reproduction is a fundamental process that ensures the survival and
continuation of species and allows the continuation of life. However, it
also brings up issues of individuality, identity, and the possibility of
exploitation. Let’s talk about how this experiment raises concerns about
identity, uniqueness, moral, ethical values and potential exploitation. As
we continue to study this technological innovation and ensure that any
advancements are made in a responsible and ethical way, it is essential
that we have forthright and thoughtful discussions about the potential
implications of reproductive cloning.
 In 1997, Dolly the sheep was born from a surrogate mother sheep.
DNA was extracted from a 6-year-old sheep, and they combined it with
an unfertilized egg from another sheep and injected it into the surrogate
sheep. The experiment was made inside the laboratory of Roslin Biotech
about 400 times, and only one embryo succeeded. It was supposed to be
a secret until a further study was created, but then the media interfered,
and so the news spread like wildfire. It was really a huge controversy at
that time between science groups and religious organizations. Scientists
believe that reproductive cloning is not possible, but they got through the
idea after the production happened. They said that it marked a
revolutionary discovery for the science community since cloning has been
the most sought-after study and experiment ever. Scientists claimed that
through this process, medical advancement would happen, and any human
disease that has yet to undergo further research and improvement would
be answered and explained. Also, since you have your DNA replicated, it
will be much easier to look for a donor if any accidents occur. Through
the process of cloning, it Is possible for infertile parents to create a genetic
replica that will serve as their offspring. On the other hand, it was quite
similar to stem cell or therapeutic cloning; however, the outcome differed.
While reproductive cloning replicates the same organism as its own being,
stem cell cloning differs in terms of the outcome. You can choose a
specific organ of a body to copy and formulate the same result, such as
the heart.
 Dolly is a mammal so as humans, and it sets a good example to test
the study about human genetic replication. Before the Dolly experiment
was created, a frog was cloned, an amphibian; it was only until the year
1997 that a mammal clone was made. This experiment is a combination
of a complex analysis of genetics, biology, and technology. While it
represents a new beginning for science, it also draws the attention of the
religious groups that are responsible for teaching ethical and moral
principles. According to the religious groups, humans must set clear
boundaries between life, science, and technology. As we understand the
value of cloning experiments, we also need to understand the ethical
values we have in terms of naturally conceiving and giving birth to
another human being.

In the video “Dolly: The Cloned Sheep” of The New York Times,
Rev. Kevin Wildes, a minister at Georgetown University, said, “Are we
trying to play the role of God?” Hence, we succeed in nurturing our
knowledge, but we cannot deny the reality that in order to create a
successful form of human, a natural process is needed. Therefore, this
experiment draws the line between human life and engineering, which
eventually develops a new form of eugenics. Looking at the negative
impacts of reproductive cloning, scientists are still in the early stages and
do not see any future for it with humans. This procedure is being used on
animals, but improvements for the human race are yet to be seen. Another
thing about this would be the abnormalities and defects of the embryo
after or even before birth. This could be fatal for both the surrogate and
the child. Lastly, since it is more likely to be a new beginning for science,
exploitation might take place and ruin the positive impact of this
experiment for everyone.

Is cloning ethical or not? In all honesty, cloning is just merely

copying your DNA, not your consciousness. Looking at how the
experiment will affect the human race is still questionable, and to this day,
many people believe that only through natural processes can we
experience life to its fullest. We can say that this can solve particular
medical issues, but on the contrary, for example, will we be able to explain
his or her existence to a child born through this procedure? After
analyzing the scientific experiment about reproductive cloning, we came
to see that trying to create life on Earth in an attempt to challenge God
had adverse impacts. In actuality, nobody can truly pretend to be God. In
the end, we cannot take an inanimate object and make it alive, even though
we may be able to modify genes in order to duplicate DNA and create life
without parents. It is not equally amazing that a person can be created in
any way such as through cloning, in vitro fertilization, or the union of
marriage. We are talking about an entire whole being, complete with a
body and a soul imprinted with divine life and dignity. Therefore, there is
no test tube that could outdo the way life was formed, and we can't
eradicate the astonishing mystery of how life is created.
“ The Inherent worth of human life comes from God, who created us in
His own image” (Gen. 1:26–27).

References:

• Langlois, A. The global governance of human cloning: the case of UNESCO. Palgrave
Commun 3, 17019 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1057/palcomms.2017.19

• Häyry, M. (2018). Ethics and cloning. British Medical Bulletin, 128(1), 15–21.
https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldy031

• Ruiz, J. A. (2023, November 14). Therapeutic and Reproductive cloning of human beings |
OpenMind. OpenMind.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/science/scientific-
insights/therapeutic-and-reproductive-cloning-of-human-beings/amp/

• Chadwick, R. (2018). Reproductive cloning revisited. Bioethics, 32(3), 146.

https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.12436

• Pew Research Center. (2020, May 30). 20 years after Dolly the sheep’s debut, Americans
remain skeptical of cloning. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2017/02/22/20-years-
after-dolly-the-sheeps-debut-americans-remain-skeptical-of-cloning/

• Libretexts. (2023, October 31). 17.1D: Reproductive cloning. Biology LibreTexts.

https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/Book%3A_Genera
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7.1D%3A_Reproductive_Cloning

• Nhgri. (2019, March 9). Cloning fact sheet. Genome.gov. https://www.genome.gov/about-

genomics/fact-sheets/Cloning-Fact-Sheet

• Gunn, S. (2021, September 14). Evolution of cloning: A Dolly good show! – Front Line
Genomics. Front Line Genomics. https://frontlinegenomics.com/evolution-of-cloning-a-
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show/#:~:text=The%20early%20days%20of%20reproductive%20cloning&text=In%201885
 %2C%20German%20biologist%20Hans,embryos%20formed%20from%20each%20blastome
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• The New York Times. (2013, October 14). The story of Dolly the cloned sheep: Retro report:
The New York Times. YouTube. https://youtu.be/tELZEPcgKkE?si=cJGDYxQTdbGSMhss