Human
Cloning
"Science without conscience is the
death of the soul."
What Exactly Is Cloning?
In order to understand cloning a basic understanding of human and animal reproduction will be helpful, but if Biology wasn't your best subject in school, don't worry - we will take you through this gently. Let's start with a basic definition of the term. Cloning is the process of creating an organism or being that is genetically identical to its parent. Note the singular use of the word "parent". This is because most clones are a result of a process called asexual reproduction, whereby the new organism develops from only one parent, rather than two. In this literature, we will be discussing two types of cloning: Twinning and somatic cell transfer.
How is Cloning Done?
The
first method, twinning,
is a procedure that was used to create twin monkeys at the Primate Research
Center in Oregon.
In this method the female egg was fertilized by a male monkey outside the
womb, thereby using two parents in the creation of an embryo.
As soon as any egg is fertilized by the sperm it begins dividing - from
two cells to four to eight, etc. The fertilized egg is then allowed to grow and
divide until it reaches the eight-cell stage. At this point, once those eight
cells are then separated, from
the original embryo, they
can be implanted
into the uterus of eight separate surrogate mothers, producing eight
clones.
And when these cells are separated from the original embryo, that embryo
is destroyed in the process - the same procedure used with Embryonic Stem Cell
Research
You Mean Cloning Is Used In
Embryonic Stem Cell Research?
Cloning
is a major part of Embryonic Stem Cell (ESC) research, which involves the
deliberate destruction of the embryo in order to obtain the stem cells.
In order to push for federal funding, scientists say they only intend to
use existing "left-over" embryos from IVF (in-vitro fertilization)
clinics. And the reason is simple: they intend to use cloning to produce an
unlimited supply.
However, it doesn't stop there.
Adult stem cells are also used in cloning.
How Are Adult Stem Cells
Used?
In
a method known as "somatic cell transfer", whereby the somatic, or
adult stem cells provide the nucleus - the chromosomal DNA material for a newly
developing embryo.
This is pretty much the process that was used to clone Dolly the sheep.
How was Dolly the Sheep Created?
The
production of Dolly involved two cells: a donor cell (in this
case, an adult sheep cell) and a recipient, unfertilized egg cell.
Using these two cells:
1)
The nucleus of the recipient egg cell was removed, eliminating its genetic
information
2)
The donor cell, taken from the udder of an adult which contained the DNA and
genetic information was "fused"
with the egg cell
3)
An electric pulse was used to "jump-start" the development of the egg
into an embryo
4) The embryo was implanted in the uterus of the surrogate mother sheep and carried to term. The donor or recipient ewes in this experiment actually could have been the same sheep used to carry Dolly to term, had it not been that the animals were too old.
What Was This Clone Like?
The newborn sheep had all the same characteristics of any other "normal" sheep, and carried the exact genetic makeup of the donor. However it is unknown whether there may be hidden characteristics or adverse effects that might surface after a number of years. For example, cloning experiments on other animals have shown a marked increase in the size of the offspring (they are larger) and there is also a tendency for short survival spans and massive genetic abnormalities.
So With The Dolly Method, No
Embryo Was Destroyed?
Unfortunately,
that is not the case. There were
276 failed attempts to create one sheep. Aside from all the miscarriages and
stillborns, defective embryos were also destroyed. Some may marvel at the end
result, but there was nothing admirable in the life obliterated in the process.
What Are Other Problems with
Cloning?
Scientists
have had a success rate in cloning of less than 3% at best and the results are
often grotesquely deformed creatures. Further, the genetic reprogramming that is
done can subtly alter genes with consequences that are not readily apparent but
will surface later on. These clones appear "normal" on the outside,
but they are later found to have a host of problems, including developmental
delays, lung problems, heart defects, neurological disorders and malfunctioning
immune systems.
This Sounds A
It
should! Just because we are technically able to do something, doesn't
necessarily mean we should do it. Unfortunately in a self-centered society, we
are led to believe we should be able to have whatever we want.
Science, however, should be treated somewhat like the forbidden
fruit in the Garden of Eden. Some things, no matter how tempting, some
things should not be touched.
Besides Destroying & Creating
Life, What Other Problems Are There?
To name a few…
Creation of Humans for Research
By
substituting a human in the "twinning" method of cloning from the
previous page, when the eight cells are split off to become eight new embryos,
you now have eight new human lives and eight times as many laboratory specimens. Scientists would have an endless supply of human guinea pigs
- a fact already noted by some scientists at the National Institutes of Health.
In their zeal for federal funding of ESC Research, they revealed their
callous disregard for human life by stating that
the use of these embryos would "reduce the need for laboratory
animals in research"….putting the value of human life lower than that of
a laboratory rat!
Therapeutic Research
Using
somatic cell, or nuclear transfer, we would create a new life - just like Dolly.
But instead of implanting this life into a uterus, scientists allow the
embryo to develop to just the right stage - then extract the stem cells, which
of course destroys the embryo, and voila! You
now have your very own set of embryonic stem cells to create spare parts for
yourself. But human life was
created and destroyed - a clone of one's own flesh and blood - in order to
obtain them. And you thought only
animals consumed their young!
Genetic Manipulation:
Much
has been in the news about "tailor made, custom-ordered" babies, using
traits of gifted or “desirable” people
who donate their eggs or DNA to
produce the perfect child. Hitler had the very same idea.
By using the same process as Dolly the sheep, we could fuse a human egg
with any other donor DNA, including an animal's.
Part Animal, Part Human
Joseph Fletcher, a eugenicist in the 1970's dreamed of: "para-humans", or "chimeras". These part-human, part-animal creatures could be created to perform demeaning tasks or dangerous jobs. Fletcher wrote, "As it is now, low grade work is shoved off on moronic or retarded individuals, the victims of uncontrolled reproduction. Should we not program such workers thoughtfully instead of accidentally, by means of hybridization?"
Eugenics
Even
those who advocate human cloning do not attempt to hide the fact that they would
like to simply eliminate all "defective" embryos before they have a
chance to develop. Some health
insurance providers advocate "screening" for possible health risks
based on the prospective client's DNA and medical history.
Gene therapy attempts to treat genetic disorders by replacing flawed or
absent genes with healthy ones. The
failure rate is astronomically high. No
problem for the morally deprived: By using genetic screening, an imperfect child
once implanted inside the womb would simply be aborted.
Same Sex Parents Producing a Child
Two women involved in a same sex relationship wish to have a child together. Cloning provides it. One woman donates an unfertilized egg and has the nucleus removed; the second donates the DNA and has it fused with the egg. It is then electrically stimulated and the embryo is implanted in the womb of either woman.
Is Human Cloning Legal?
That
depends on whether one considers an embryo to be human.
Scientists who want to clone try to state that a fertilized egg is not an
embryo until at least 14 days. That gives them the opportunity to develop this
tiny life and then remove their stem cells for cloning.
Congress overwhelmingly voted last year to ban both therapeutic and
reproductive cloning. There are
multiple bills pending in the Senate. The first two are dubbed “Clone and Kill, whereby the cloned embryo could not be
implanted into a woman’s womb and allowed to be brought to full term. However,
cloning embryos for research would be allowed.
Enforcing such a bill would be impossible. Who is going to force a woman to abort a cloned embryo once
it is implanted? The second bill
Brwonback’s S1899 would ban ALL cloning.
In Summary
The
selfish and cannibalistic act of destroying one human life to create or benefit
another should speak clearly enough for itself. But let's look at another
aspect. How does one clone the warmth of human love, the empathy felt for one
another, or deep human desires to nurture relationships?
These are all parts of the individual you will not find in DNA; the very
soul that cannot and should not be artificially duplicated.
What happens to the mind of a child who is cloned after another and no
longer has something totally special of his own to offer?
People are loved for who they are on the inside, not for who they appear
to be on the outside. How can such a child ever be assured that he is loved for who
he is and not for the person from whom he was cloned? In creating these persons, we have robbed them of the most
basic freedom afforded to mankind - the right to exist as an individual.
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