Facts of Cloning Essay -- essays research papers

The possibility of stem cell research exploded with momentum when a certain sheep named Dolly was born. The reason why this was such a breakthrough is because Dolly was the first mammal ever cloned. Although this all began in 1996, the study into stem cell research has been documented since the 1960’s, where Joseph Altman and Gopal Das brought forward new evidence of adult neurogenesis ( the ongoing stem cell activity in the brain). The birth of Dolly brought many breakthroughs for the scientific community but it also created an avalanche of concern because of the ethical implications. With all of the reporting on Dolly, the news media only spoke of one type of cloning and that is reproductive cloning. This may be the most popular type of cloning known in society, but there are two others used in the scientific community. The two types are, recombinant DNA cloning (DNA cloning), and therapeutic cloning. The type of cloning used for Dolly was reproductive cloning, which is, a technology used to generate an animal that has the same nuclear DNA as another animal that is currently in existence or once was. More specifically there is a process known as SCNT (somatic cell nuclear transfer). In SCNT, the genetic material from the nucleus of a donor adult cell it transferred into a cell where the nucleus has been removed. Once this has taken place the cell that has been reconstructed must then be stimulated with either chemicals or an electric current. This must be done to initiate, or stimulate cell division. Once when cell division is at a suitable stage, the cell is then transferred into the uterus of a female host, where it will continue to develop until birth. The animals that are created with reproductive cloning are no... ... previously, ACT was only able to have one enucleated egg out of eight replicate six times before stopping. Furthermore, when Dolly was created, she was the only success out of 276 attempts. Also is the fact that more than 90% of cloning attempts fail. It would be an obvious statement to say that cloning at this stage is extremely inefficient and still in the works. In my own personal view I am pro for all cloning at this point in time. I say â€Å"at this point in time†, because I do not know where I will stand when the complete cloning of a humans will be possible. For now though, I believe that the research into diseases, and nerve damage should be fully explored. It is said that the American dream is to live in the land of the free. Is it possible that within the next fifty years the American dream could be to live for fifty years past the average life span?