Reproductive Cloning

Dolly Varun and Elizabeth

What is Reproductive

Cloning?• Technology used to generate an animal that has the same DNA as another currently or previously existing animal.

• Dolly the sheep was created by reproductive cloning technology.

First dog clone (Afghan Hound)

How does it work?• Scientists use “somatic cell nuclear transfer” (SCNT).

• Transfer genetic material from the nucleus of a donor adult cell to an egg whose nucleus (so its genetic material) has been removed.

• Reconstructed egg containing the transferred DNA is treated with chemicals or electric current to stimulate cell division.

• Once the cloned embryo reaches a suitable stage, it is transferred to the uterus of a female host where it continues to develop until birth.

The Clone! • Dolly or any animal created using nuclear transfer

technology is not truly an identical clone of the donor.

• Only clone’s nuclear DNA is the same.

• Some of the clone’s genetic material comes from the mitochondria.

• Mutations in the mitochondrial DNA are believed to play an important role in the aging process.

Relevance to Society• Can increase the population of

endangered species.

• Lots of controversy over the issue: it has risks and is highly inefficient. Over 90% of cloning attempts fail.

Red panda – an endangered species

Ethical Consideration

s• Defective child objections – clone child could be imperfect (suffering from defects)

• Medical safety – born with defects

• Religious objections – cloning is “playing God,” clone will have no “soul,” something less than fully human

• Slavery and spare parts objections – clones that are created will either be treated as a slave or her body parts will be chopped up and sold

• Objects of potential discrimination – discrimination against clones

• Guinea pigs objections – humans are not guinea pigs, nobody has the right to carry out experiments on them

• Technological terror objections (10,000 Hitler objection) – clone soldiers, fear that’s been generated through science fiction

• Identify of life objections – cloning people threatens personal identity, easier to get out of bed in the morning knowing they are unique

• Selfishness objections – many people believe there is no reason to clone children when there are so many waiting for adoption

Technology Used• Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).

• As the procedure currently cannot be automated, it must be performed under a microscope.

Potential Benefits To Society

• Agricultural Benefits – Cattle and other livestock that contain beneficial characteristics that will increase the health of livestock as well as consumer population.

• Life-Saving Technology – Organs and tissues like hearts and livers could perhaps be cloned (tissue engineering).

Interesting Facts• Jurassic Park was made to emphasize

the risk involved in cloning.

• Some scientists believe that cloning will never work for humans while others state that human cloning is easier to do that animal cloning.

Bibliography• "cloning." Online Art. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 25  Feb.  2008  <

http://www.britannica.com/ebc/art-60421>.

• "Human Genome Project Information." Cloning Fact Sheet. 29 08. 2006. Human Genome Project. 25 02. 2008 <http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/cloning.shtml#risks>.

• Fyfe, Alonzo. "Against a Prohibition on Cloning." The Reproductive Cloning Network. 26 Feb. 2008 <http://www.reproductivecloning.net/Articles/fyfe.htm>.

• "Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer." Wikipedia. 26 Feb. 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapeutic_cloning#SCNT_in_reproductive_cloning>.