Should Human Cloning Be Pursued?

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Recommended: Repercussions of cloning

Unlike some movies, cloning in real life doesn’t produce a full grown exact replica of someone. A type of cloning that occurs naturally is when identical twins are born (“What Is Cloning?”). Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a type of cloning that has to be done in a lab. In SCNT they take the nucleolus out of an egg cell, replace it with the nucleolus of a somatic cell (body cell with two complete sets of chromosomes), and make the egg cell divide into a blastocyst (“What Is Cloning?”).
There are two main controversial types of cloning that come from SCNT which are reproductive and therapeutic cloning. Reproductive cloning involves the creation of another life and should be banned. “In therapeutic cloning … there [is no] implantation into the uterus to create a child” (Murnaghan). It is used to create stem cells for medical use and can save lives. The medical possibilities of stem cells are immense and definitely should be pursued with caution.

People who want to pursue reproductive cloning mainly want to do so for infertility reasons. For some people that have trouble conceiving a child and desperately want one, reproductive cloning would be a godsend. “If doctors could make many identical copies of an embryo, they could avoid having to give women powerful drugs, month after month, to force their ovaries to pump out multiple eggs” (Kolata). This would save time and money. Cloning also would provide an option for someone who wants a child genetically related to them but is completely sterile.

Even with the possibilities of reproductive cloning helping solve infertility problems, it is extremely dangerous and unethical. Previous experience with reproductive cloning on animals has yielded terrible results. “F...

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The Process of Cloning. Digital image. Gurukpo. World Press, 26 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 May 2014. .

Spriggs, M. "Therapeutic Cloning Research and Ethical Oversight." Journal of Medical Ethics 29.4 (2003): 207-08. ProQuest. Web. 11 May 2014.

"Theraputic Cloning: Ethics, Public Opinion." Religious Tolerance. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2014. .

Villarreal, Phil. "The Pros And Cons Of Egg Donation." Consumerist. N.p., 16 Sept. 2011. Web. 22 May 2014. .

"What Is Cloning?" Learn.Genetics: Genetic Science Learning Center. Univesity of Utah Health Sciences, n.d. Web. 22 May 2014. .

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