What is cloning?
Cloning at first was just an idea in scientist’s minds but soon a revolution of ideas and experiments took place. Scientist’s started to develop this brain thought that cloning could be possible in human lives. However, what is cloning? Well, cloning is the creation of an organism with the same exact DNA of another organism. An example, of this is Dolly the sheep. She was clone by an adult somatic cell. She was known as the “most famous sheep in the world” by BBC News and Scientific American. Since she was the first animal to be cloned successfully. Furthermore, her birth gave an understanding of cloning and brought more possibilities for cloning.
Types of Natural Cloning and Artificial Cloning As said before cloning was just an idea in biology which led to many artificial cloning by scientists. However, truth is that before Dolly the sheep or any other experiments took place natural cloning was occurring naturally in human lives. For instance, the reproductions of twins! The University of Utah supports this, in their article, what is cloning? They state “They weren’t made in a lab, though: they’re identical twins, created naturally.” Natural cloning in humans occurs when a sperm fertilizes an egg and later on, the fertilized egg splits into two or more embryos inside the mother creating identical twins. In addition, artificial cloning uses the same process to clone organisms. However, artificial cloning does not occur in the mother’s body but in a Petri dish. To deliver the embryo into the surrogate mother scientists separate an early embryo into individual cells and then allow both cells to divide and develop by their selves. Next the embryo is placed in the surrogate mother where the embryo then develops inside until it is born. Just like the artificial cloning process in creating Dolly the sheep.
Process of cloning: Animals. Have Humans ever been cloned? As technology advances so do the possibilities of cloning. For a long time scientists have cloned animals, animals such as sheep, dogs, mice, cats, pigs etc. The process in which they are created does not change. An unfertilized egg or an early embryo is taken and placed into two cells in which they divide and develop by themselves. Later on, the embryo is taken to the surrogate mother and is born with the same exact DNA of another organism. But have humans ever been cloned? If so, do humans have the same process as animals cloning? However, the truth is that there have been many rumors about human cloning. Many like Russ Rick, author of Humans have already been Cloned believe that human cloning has already happened but others disagree stating that yes, human cloning is just around the corner however, if it were ever done human cloning would bring many dilemmas. In summary, humans might or might not have been cloned but one thing is for sure, human cloning is just around the corner according to Russ Rick.
Current Research on cloning One single idea is now expanding into a greater purpose. In Japan, scientists cloned a mouse out of another mouse tail. Why is this significant? Well usually scientists use somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The process requires of at least one donor to be euthanized and samples taken from central locations such as lymph nodes according to Joey Carmichael, author of the article Mouse Cloned from Mere drop of Blood. However, the scientists in Japan drew 10-15 ul of blood from the donor tail and collected white blood cells. Nuclei were taken from the white blood cells leading to a higher lifespan of the mouse. In summary, “this method could allow for the cloning of endangered or cherished animals since the donor need not be euthanized.” Stated Carmichael. Thus, leading to more possibilities for cloning animals in the future.
Ethical issues on cloning However, there are some issues that need to be resolved before there can really be a successful clone of an animal or a human. It