Hello everyone!
My inquiry question: Should we clone humans?
In this round of research, I will be listing advantages of cloning!
There are many advantages of cloning, especially for animals as cloning can help recreate extinct animals or help create more animals if they are heading towards extinction. However, I will focus on the advantages of cloning humans!
- Cloning humans can help scientists discover new ways to recover from trauma: For instance, having a strain or sprain to a ligament can take weeks to heal with rest. However, cloning humans can result in a speedier recovery as duplication of the exact cells in the clone can be used for the sprain or strain to heal more quickly [1].
- Can help find treatment methods of infertility [2]
- Having embryo replacements: By having developed embryos, cloning several of those embryos just in case if there is some sort of accident to on
- e of the non-cloned ones, the cloned embryo can replace it [2].
- Reproduce and replicate amputated limbs and replace organs: Using cloning, scientists will be able to reproduce and replicate amputated limbs. As well as replace destroyed organs such as a liver or heart, for instance [2].
- Clone hum
an cells and/or human tissues: By cloning, they could be used in several ways to produce organs, cells, or tissues for treatments of human disease [3]. - Can prevent genetic diseases [3]
- Can save newborns from hereditary diseases [2]
- Help control the population of female or male sex: For instance, if there are any shortages due to incidents such as an earthquake, scientists are able to clone more female and/or male sex [2].
- Cloning can help multiply genes and allow scientists to explore potential benefits of modifying genes [1]
- Cloning lost ones: For instance, to reduce pain and sorrow, you can clone someone that you may have lost such as a family member or friend [2]
- Research into stem cell differentiation to provide a better understanding of oncogenesis as well as aging [1]
- Can aid in curing life-threatening diseases: For instance, an individual who is cloned will be producing matching tissues from who they were cloned, so matching tissues can be used to treat diseases[4].
- Help with transplants: Can help treat their own disease or their child’s and so someone can collect genetically identical tissue from a clone fetus or even a newborn [5].
Lastly, if you are interested to learn more into detail of how cloning works as well as some stories of cloning animals, you can check out this youtube video!
Title: The use of cloning and stem cells to resurrect life: Robert Lanza at TEDxDeExtinction
Link: https://youtu.be/gqpErbFnbiY
In my third round of research, I will look into the cons (ethical issues) of cloning humans. I am also planning to include how Dolly, the sheep grew up and such!
Thank you for reading!
References:
[1]https://futureofworking.com/9-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-cloning-humans/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5109382/
[4]https://connectusfund.org/15-pivotal-pros-and-cons-of-reproductive-cloning
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223960/
Images:
first image: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/23/parenting/pregnancy/pfas-toxins-chemicals.html
second image: https://fr.weforum.org/projects/partnering-for-racial-justice-in-business
Hi Karina,
Very interesting question! I have always thought cloning was a recipe for disaster because of how it’s shown in films but the ideas you have provided are changing my mind a little. When you mentioned cloning lost ones my mind went straight to an episode of Black Mirror where they do exactly that. Of course, it goes wrong but it was freakishly similar to how you described it. So for your next post with all the cons, I think you could mainly focus on if those clones should be considered people. Also, a suggestion for cloning dead people, consider if it should even be a possibility to bring these people back if we are already struggling with overpopulation. What would happen if the people who were supposed to be dead stayed and new people keep on coming!
Great job and here are some helpful links
https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Cloning-Fact-Sheet
https://futureofworking.com/9-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-cloning-humans/
Good luck!
Hi Karina,
I really find your topic intriguing. I love biology and anything about genetic modifications, so I truly enjoy reading these. Using clones for organs would save so many lives! Finding kidney donors is quite difficult as not all are compatible with an individuals body. If we had clones, we would have a copy of it, meaning it would be compatible. I think this would save so many lives and save patients stress. I wonder if you could look into issues regarding not enough DNA diversity. If we clone too much, would that affect our genetic diversity? This is an issue with asexual reproduction, so I assume we would have the same problem with cloning.
Here are some sources to help you with your next round:
https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Cloning-Fact-Sheet#:~:text=Researchers%20have%20observed%20some%20adverse,problems%20with%20the%20immune%20system.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1115633/
https://www.ablison.com/key-pros-and-cons-of-cloning/
Good luck on your next round!
~ Nikki S.
Hey karina,
This is a really good question! It’s interesting to know about the benefits cloning humans could have on medical science.
here’s a source that might help:
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(03)00725-5.pdf
Saachi,
thank you for the link! Will check it out!
Hey Karina, great post! Like I believe I mentioned in my previous comment, I talked about how cloning is one of those incredibly controversial issues that people still seem not to be able to get their head completely around. While some believe it to be morally wrong because it is against “God’s will”, others believe that it may be the only way to keep up with demand for organ transplants. What was also super interesting in your post was all the possible uses of cloning; I had no clue that cloning could help with infertility and with physically traumatic experiences (growing back limbs). Cool stuff!
Some resources you find useful are:
https://www.britannica.com/science/cloning/Ethical-controversy
https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa16/2016/12/02/is-cloning-badunethical/
https://funginstitute.berkeley.edu/news/op-ed-the-dangers-of-cloning/
Victor,
yeah, it is quite interesting!
Thank you for the links, I will defenitely check them out!
Dear Karina,
Your post is very interesting. The question of where the future of human enhancement lies in cannot be ignored whatsoever. I have attached a link to a peer reviewed article that analyzes the moral approach of cloning according to two famous theologists.
During the Nazi regime, history records of how doctors from Auschwitz captured people and used them as specimen to test even the most cruelest experiements (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dw+documentary+doctors+of+austwiz+germany).
With cloning, I wonder whether this will be the hallamrk of medicine and perhaps be the key to immortality.
I also watched a documentary relating to a ‘secret gang’ in China that was deemed to be kidnapping people and selling their organs.
In a nutshell, it is intersting to corelate cloning myths with conspiracy theories…
Allan,
thank you for the youtube link! I will defenitely check it out! Yeah, it is interesting to think what scientists can do if able to clone humans as that could very well as you mentioned be the key to immortality in some sense!