A blastocyst consists of two parts, a hollow sphere of cells, and the inner cell mass (ICM). The outer layer of cells will eventually form the placenta and other tissues that are needed for the support and development of the fetus. The ICM will form all of the tissues of the human body. The cells extracted from the ICM are pluripotent; they are able to give rise to many, but not all cell types necessary for fetal development (for example, they are able to give rise to fetal tissues, but not placental tissue). It is this pluripotent stem cell that is currently under investigation for medical use. .
The pluripotent cells then further specialize into another type of stem cell, a multipotent stem cell. Multipotent stem cells give rise to cells that have a particular function. For example, blood stem cells give rise to red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Skin stem cells give rise to the different types of skin cells. These stem cells, hold the possibilities of slowing the aging process, curing diseases, genetic defects and blindness, growing replacement body parts, and determining the causes of Down Syndrome and related birth defects.
Several methods exist for extracting stem cells. But only a few provide any real hope of future therapeutic use. The most readily available sources to extract stem cells from are aborted fetal matter, or the blastocyst. However, clinical uses of stem cells from these sources are limited. When they are injected into a patient, chances of their immune system rejecting the cells are high, due to their difference in genetic make up. So why not use stem cells directly from the patient? Researchers have found very few adult stem cells. They have been used with some success. For example human stem cells extracted from the brains of aborted human fetuses greatly enhanced the cognitive ability of 24 month old rats (equivalent of an 80+ year old human) (Laino).
Is cloning legal? ... What is cloning? ... Cloning 3 Now that we have established the scientific basis of cloning, let me tell you how cloning can directly benefit humanity. ... To clone or not to clone is not the question. Cloning is the future. ...
We have also heard about three cloned cows. What about human clones? ... The cloning revolution now leads us an ethical issue about human cloning. ... Cloning technology can help remove disease from a clone when the original suffered from disease. ... More likely a human clone will attract world-wide attention, especially the very first clone. ...
Cloning In the past few years, the topic of cloning has been in the news a lot. ... In order for cloning to take place, all genes must be active. ... Cloning could also revolutionize the field of organ transplant. Organs and bone marrow could be cloned and used for transplant. ... Drawbacks There are also many reasons not to clone. ...
The Benefits of Cloning Technology What comes to mind when people think about cloning? Probably a movie they have seen before, like The Sixth Day. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a man who is cloned without his knowledge. The clone takes over his life. This is just one fear that people have. But t...
In today's society cloning is one of the most talked about and controversial issues. There are numerous people that oppose cloning while on the other hand there are people who are for cloning. People who are against cloning bring up points of morality and religion. ... Among all of this controversy, there are benefits to cloning. ... According to the article "Human Cloning" by D. ...
Firstly, "Human cloning is a form of cloning which is designed to result in a copy of a human being," this means that the procedures that human cloning contains is specifically designed to result in an exact copy of the human being cloned. ... "Human cloning creates questions about the soul, the role of God in society, and even the quality of life that a cloned person may have." The disadvantages of human cloning are undoubtedly clear. ... "One of the most noticeable is that the cloned child will have exactly the same medical history as their parent clone's." ... Ther...
This paper is not meant to be a history lesson in cloning or to explain all the scientific terms that are related to cloning. ... Identical siblings constitute a clone. ... Dolly was a sheep and the first cloned mammal. ... One patient has a clone and all that needs to be done is remove the clone liver and place it in his/her body. ... Before cloning the term used was eugenics. ...
There are three different types of cloning. ... Next there is Adult DNA cloning; this is the most common type of cloning that is thought of because it shows a clone that was made from another living organism and looks exactly the same("Human" 1). ... There are many questions when it comes to cloning and the ethics of cloning. ... More importantly, who will get cloned? ... Most people scared of cloning encourage the study of cloning but do not like the idea of actually cloning humans, which is understandable (Stanley 37). ...
