Again research into cloning can benefit infertile or childless couples
HOW HUMAN CLONING MIGHT BE CARRIED OUT
These tools would be use to carry out the processes of human cloning.
- Microscope
- Petri Dishes
- Sharp Pipette
- Blunt pipette
- Chemical to stimulate cell division
DERRICK OKRAH
We would need 3 individuals, the person we would like to clone, an Egg cell donor and a surrogated mother to grow the clone.
Steps we might take.
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Donor cells from the person we want to clone and the Egg donors would have to be isolated. Each would have to be in a separate Petri dish. The type of cell we take from the person we want to clone is called somatic cell; these cells are found in layer of cells which surrounds and nourish the egg.
- Egg cell from the egg donor would be removed in other to discard the nucleus. This would be done under the microscope with the help of the blunt pipette and the sharp pipette. The blunt pipette would hold the egg in place; the sharp pipette would also sucks out the egg’s nucleus.
- The somatic cell nucleus would be transferred into the enucleated egg cell. They would then be transferred back under the microscope. The somatic cell will now be held with the blunt pipette so that the nucleus can be removed with the sharp pipette, it is then injected into the enucleated egg cell. This will provide the enucleated egg cell with a new DNA. The new DNA needs to be reprogrammed to behave though it were the DNA of the egg cell, it takes couple of hours to so this.
- The Egg cell with the nucleus will need to be stimulated to start cell division (mitosis) in the Petri dish. A drop of the liquid chemical would be added to mimics the cellular events that occur when an egg cell is fertilized by a sperm cell from a male. The cell will start to undergo mitosis this takes couple of hours.
- The embryo would then be implanted into the surrogated mother. The embryo would continue to increase in cell number and begins to differentiate its cells into various tissue types. The pregnancy will continue for about 9 months.
- A new baby is now born. It would have everything in common to the person being cloned; it would never have anything to do with the surrogated mother.
Who might benefit from human cloning and how might it be used?
Everyone might benefit from human cloning from my point of view, consider these below.
Infertility.
With cloning, infertile couples could have children. Despite getting a fair amount of publicity in the news current treatments for infertility, in terms of percentages, are not very successful. One estimate is that current infertility treatments are less than 10 percent successful. Couples go through physically and emotionally painful procedures for a small chance of having children. Many couples run out of time and money without successfully having children. Human cloning could make it possible for many more infertile couples to have children than ever before possible
Down's syndrome. Those women at high risk for Down's syndrome can avoid that risk by cloning.
Leukaemia. We should be able to clone the bone marrow for children and adults suffering from leukaemia. This is expected to be one of the first benefits to come from cloning technology.
Cystic fibrosis. We may be able to produce effective genetic therapy against cystic fibrosis.
Breast implants. Most people are aware of the breast implant fiasco in which hundreds of thousands of women received silicone breast implants for cosmetic reasons. Many came to believe that the implants were making them ill with diseases of their immune systems. With human cloning and its technology breast augmentation and other forms of cosmetic surgery could be done with implants that would not be any different from the person's normal tissues
The above list only scratches the surface of what human cloning technology can benefit mankind. The suffering that can be relieved is staggering. Why should another child die from leukaemia when if the technology is allowed we should be able to cure it in a few years time?
What would happen if the cloning technique produces defective embryos or handicapped children?
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Agriculture and Drug Production: Not only can the best traits be perpetuated but farm animals could also be used as "machines" for large-scale production of medically important proteins. Polly, a transgenic cloned lamb, is an example. She is able to produce milk containing factor IX -- the protein that is deficient in haemophiliacs.
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Maintaining Biodiversity: Cloning may be an important tool for preserving endangered species if currently practiced methods fail.
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Biomedical Research: Cloning can produce genetically identical laboratory animals which can be used as models for human disease. The most commonly used laboratory animal, the mouse, reproduces rapidly and its genetics have been well studied. Mice have been successfully cloned and will likely facilitate the discovery of new treatments for disease. Jean-Paul Renard, of the National Institute of Agricultural Research in France, is attempting to produce cloned transgenic rabbits to study cardiovascular disease in the hope of finding new treatments. In addition, it provides a model for studying the interaction of nuclear verses mitochondrial genes and for nuclear verses cytoplasmic factors.
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Commercial Endeavours: Noting that no live dog clones have yet been reported, the company PerPETuate, Inc. (Connecticut) is freezing tissue from family pets for the future. Researchers have had little success in the steps required to make a dog clone, such as development after nuclear transfer and embryo implantation into the womb.
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Treatment for Human Disease: Cells could be harvested from early embryos to provide cell and tissue replacement without the hazards of transplantation rejection. The U.K. government has recently accepted recommendations from its chief medical to permit research using embryos subject to controls, which include a 14-day limit (see the Department of Health website listed below in "learn more").
