Should Cloning Be Banned
Discursive essay – Should cloning be banned?
The subject of human cloning is a very controversial topic. The cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1997 by scientist Ian Wilmut generated a very unexpected reaction around the world. However these reactions were not all positive. Cloning refers to the development of offspring that are identical to their parents genetically. While it is referred to as an unnatural process, it can occur quite often in nature. Identical twins, for example, are clones. However, human cloning is very new and very complex. In this essay I will examine both sides of the argument into the banning of cloning starting with reasons why cloning should not be banned. Firstly, cloning, in the respect of human cloning, is no different from any other medical technology. Research of embryos is required before the procedure to quantify and reduce the risks of the procedure. In Britain, embryo research is permitted until its fourteenth day of development. Britain, along with many Western countries is actively engaged in embryo research. Thousands of ‘spare’ embryos are generated each year by IVF procedures and destroyed. Alternatively, these embryos can be used for the purpose of embryo research. A further reason why cloning should not be banned is that thousands of lives are saved from cloning human cells, tissue or organs. Regenerative medicine, a growing scientific field, allows this cloning to take place. Cloning human body parts guarantees a genetic match to prevent organ rejections and doesn’t require drugs that lower the body’s immune response. If human cloning is fully banned, this type of research would be stopped and a lot of lives would be lost. The final argument against the banning of cloning is that it allows individuals or couples to reproduces through means other than sexual reproduction. Infertile couples could benefit from human cloning in that the couple could create a genetic duplicate of one of the parents. Further research even
The subject of human cloning is a very controversial topic. The cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1997 by scientist Ian Wilmut generated a very unexpected reaction around the world. However these reactions were not all positive. Cloning refers to the development of offspring that are identical to their parents genetically. While it is referred to as an unnatural process, it can occur quite often in nature. Identical twins, for example, are clones. However, human cloning is very new and very complex. In this essay I will examine both sides of the argument into the banning of cloning starting with reasons why cloning should not be banned. Firstly, cloning, in the respect of human cloning, is no different from any other medical technology. Research of embryos is required before the procedure to quantify and reduce the risks of the procedure. In Britain, embryo research is permitted until its fourteenth day of development. Britain, along with many Western countries is actively engaged in embryo research. Thousands of ‘spare’ embryos are generated each year by IVF procedures and destroyed. Alternatively, these embryos can be used for the purpose of embryo research. A further reason why cloning should not be banned is that thousands of lives are saved from cloning human cells, tissue or organs. Regenerative medicine, a growing scientific field, allows this cloning to take place. Cloning human body parts guarantees a genetic match to prevent organ rejections and doesn’t require drugs that lower the body’s immune response. If human cloning is fully banned, this type of research would be stopped and a lot of lives would be lost. The final argument against the banning of cloning is that it allows individuals or couples to reproduces through means other than sexual reproduction. Infertile couples could benefit from human cloning in that the couple could create a genetic duplicate of one of the parents. Further research even