What Is Cloning?
Essay by review • February 11, 2011 • Essay • 469 Words (2 Pages) • 1,027 Views
What is cloning? Cloning is the process in which we replicate something. Scientists had used cloning experiments and try to clone many mammals before. However, cloning also have to be ethical, some people considered cloning human is unethical. There are three different techniques that scientists use to clone. These techniques are: recombinant DNA technology or DNA cloning, reproductive cloning, and therapeutic cloning.
The first method of cloning is to use the recombinant DNA technology. The terms "recombinant DNA technology," "DNA cloning," "molecular cloning," or "gene cloning" all refer to the same process call the transfer of a DNA fragment of interest from one organism to a self-replicating genetic element such as a bacterial plasmid. The DNA of interest can then be breed in a different host cell. This technology has been around since the 1970s, and it has been used commonly in molecular biology labs today.
The second technique to use in cloning is reproductive cloning. Reproductive cloning is a technology used to generate an animal that has the same nuclear DNA as another currently or previously existing animal. In a process called "somatic cell nuclear transfer", scientists transfer genetic material from the nucleus of a donor adult cell to an egg whose nucleus, and thus its genetic material, has been removed. The reconstructed egg containing the DNA from a donor cell must be treated with chemicals or electric current in order 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 third way to clone is by using stem cells. Stem cells are important to biomedical researchers because they can be used to generate almost any type of specialized cell in the human body. Stem cells are extracted from the egg after it has divided for 5 days. The egg at this stage of development is called a blastocyst. The extraction process destroys the embryo, which raises a variety of ethical concerns. Many researchers hope that one day stem cells can be used to serve as replacement cells to treat heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.
Technologies that were used to develop new ways of cloning had changed and improved in many ways during the pass years. Such technologies can bring to us a new method of breeding mammals. However, it can also change the
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