Should human cloning be a part of our society? .
In order to debate the potential of human cloning, we must first consider how it ties in to certain aspects of human society. One of these aspects is determining how human cloning will affect scientific research. The continuation of human cloning and its related actions could drastically increase our scientific knowledge of genetics and lead us to new discoveries concerning the human body and related issues. .
If human cloning were to undergo technological advances, the study of health would also drastically improve. Cloning and the study of human genes would provide better research capabilities for finding cures to many present-day diseases. .
In society today, public opinion about human cloning is divided. The supporters for human cloning argue that human cloning should be allowed, as the research may have the potential to eliminate many of the world's problems such as animal extinction and can also benefit mankind in many ways. On the other hand, the opposers of human cloning say that cloning is unethical and that we should not be defying the very foundation of natural creation. .
The first attempts at artificial cloning were started as early as the beginning of this century involving implementation of frog eggs. However, this cloning attempt was unsuccessful and the eggs did not develop. Successful nuclear transfer of the embryo cells did not occur until the 1970's, when a scientist named John Gurdon repeated the earlier experiment. The eggs successfully developed into tadpoles. Since then there have been many experiments involving cloning. Presently, scientists who believe that cloning should be allowed are striving to perfect nuclear transfer technology in hope of harnessing its many advantages.
Producing a clone of a human being would not amount to creating a "carbon copy" - the sort of thing we see in science fiction. It would be more like producing a delayed identical twin.