This paper explores the scientific possibilities and implications of animal cloning. Cloning has become a debate among scientist and the public. Many are asking whether or not cloning is worth it. There has been evidence that supports both sides of the debate. Evidence is continually being produced every day. It seems to lean against cloning being an effective method of animal reproduction.
Once only seen as a fantasy, cloning has made quite a splash in the realm of science. Dolly was the first ever mammal to be cloned. She was born in July of 1997 and lived until 2003. Her story amazed and shocked the world. The idea of cloning had turned into more than just an idea. (ASU).Cloning is referred to as “a group of two or more individuals with identical genetic makeup derived, by asexual reproduction, from a
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Approximately only 2-5% of clones develop into healthy offspring. Dolly the lamb was one out of two hundred and seventy seven cloned embryos. The others did not make it anywhere near as far as Dolly in the process. Cloning’s low efficiency does not come close to what the industry would like. Many companies that were set up to commercialize cloning have already closed their doors. Robert Lanza,vice president for research and development at advanced cell technology in Worcester,Massachusets, said cloning is still “a black box”(Check,2007).
Many scientist are hopeful that cloned pigs will be able to act as organ donors for humans. Only about 21/67 thousand people that needed a transplant received one. In January of 2002 pigs were cloned specifically to be used for organ transplants. These pigs had a gene removed that made their organs more compatible with human organs. They may eventually be able to use these for human transplants. Pig organs are much like human organs in both shape and size. This would be a good alternative for finding transplant organs (Yang,