Cloning into the Future

Clone is an organism, or group of organisms, derived from another organism by an asexual (nonsexual) reproductive process. The word clone has been applied to cells as well as to organisms, so a group of cells stemming from a single cell is also called a clone. Usually the members of a clone are identical in their inherited characteristics-that is, in their genes -except for any differences caused by mutation. Identical twins, for example, who originate from the division of a single fertilized egg, are members of a clone; whereas non-identical twins, derived from two separate fertilized eggs, are not clones.
Through recent advances in genetic engineering, scientists can isolate an individual gene (or group of genes) from one organism and grow it in another organism belonging to a different species. This technique is called cloning because it uses clones of organisms or cells. It has great economic and medical potential and is the subject of active research (“Clone”).
The idea of cloning came about in the early 1900’s. A German scientist named Hans Spemann first thought of the cloning methods around 1938. One of the first attempts on cloning, however, was by a scientist named Adolph Eduard Driesc

The practice of human cloning, although banned from the United States, is unavoidable. The techniques used in sheep cloning do not require a highly sophisticated laboratory. Since the United States government does not support research on human cloning, and the United Kingdom, France, and Germany have banned cloning, the research making cloning possible may take place in Asia, Eastern Europe, or the Middle East. Much of it may take place in secret, and it will occur regardless of any United States policy. Although a majority of individuals disapprove of the idea, human cloning will be a widely practiced, and aside from all of the controversy that surrounds it, it will prove to be beneficial to the health and well being of all humanity. Benefits may aid people with infertility troubles, medical problems, and with plastic, reconstructive, and cosmetic surgery. Cloning could certainly benefit couples that are infertile and want to have a child of their own. They could use cloning to produce a baby with their similar characteristics. If the woman is infertile, the egg that contains cells from both the mother and the father could be infected into the womb of a surrogate mother. On the other hand, if the father were infertile, the mother would have the egg with both of their cells injected into her own womb. This could work the same way for gay couples. They could have children with both of their characteristics. With the breakthrough in human stem cells, embryonic stem cells can now also be grown to produce organs or tissues to repair or replace damaged one. Skin for burn victims, brain cells for the brain damaged, spinal cord cells for quadriplegics and paraplegics, hearts, lungs, livers, and kidneys could be produced. By combining this technology with human cloning technology, it may be possible to produce needed tissue for suffering people that will be free of rejection by their immune systems. Conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, heart failure, degenerative joint disease, and other problems may be made curable if human cloning and its technology are not banned. Cloning could also benefit those in need or want of plastic, reconstructive, and cosmetic surgery. Because of human cloning and its technology, the days of silicone breast implants and other cosmetic procedures that may cause immune disease could soon be over. With the new technology, instead of using materials foreign to the body for such procedures, doctors will be able to manufacture bone, fat, connective tissue, or cartilage that matches the patients’ tissue exactly. Anyone will be able to have their appearance altered to their satisfaction without the leaking of silicone gel into their bodies or the other problems that occur with present day plastic surgery. Victims of terrible accidents that deform the face could now be able to have their features repaired with new and safer, technology. Limbs for amputees may also be able to be regenerated.

Many plants are cloned by tissue culture techniques and sold commercially. Some of the ferns such as Boston fern and Staghorn fern are propagated through tissue culture. Also, many varieties of African violet are propagated asexually by tissue culture. We can take a leaf from a plant like the plant above. The leaf is then cleaned of contaminating microorganisms, fungal spores, small insects or whoever might be on board. The leaf is then cut into small pieces in a laminar flow hood that provides a clean working surface. The small pieces of plant tissue that are cut out of the leaf are called explants. The explants are then placed on a chemical medium that provides nutrients for the plant tissues to grow and usually some plant hormones to encourage development of new organs from the plant tissue.

Though these repercussions in cloning animals do exist, the benefits certainly outweigh them. For an endangered species like the Giant Panda,