Cloning

            
             Upon hearing the term "cloning" the masses tend to be assaulted with vague notions of genetic engineering and an overall sense of unease instilled by modern pop culture. Be it comic unease with Michael Keaton in "Multiplicity" (whose multiple selves get him into trouble and cause him to appreciate life more), or true fear of our race being genetically engineered a la "Gattaca" with Ethan Hawke. One of mankind's most prevalent fears is a fear of the unknown, and that which is not understood. Cloning is such a topic that one cannot properly or fully understand without the appropriate scientific background.
             "The term "clone" has many meanings but in its simplest and most scientific sense it means the making of identical copies of molecules, cells, tissues, and even entire animals" (NBAC, 33). "Cloning" (without modern connotation) refers to three different procedures with three different goals, each varying in complexity. The procedures are as follows:.
             At the simplest level of cloning lies "molecular cloning", where molecular biologists regularly make clones of DNA fragments to further their research. The availability of large quantities of identical DNA allow for less variables within experiments, thus making experiments unproblematic. Molecular cloning has led to the "production of insulin to treat diabetes, and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to dissolve clots after a heart attack" (NBAC, 14).
             Another cloning variant is "cellular cloning". In this procedure copies are made of cells taken from the body and then grown in culture in a laboratory. The cloned cells are referred to as a "cell line", and are identical to that of the original cell. These cloned cells are often used to test medicines such as those above, or to aide in the production of new ones. Neither molecular nor cellular cloning involve germ cells (egg or sperm) and are thus incapable of developing into a baby.