Cloning

[ReincarnatedCat]

What do you think of cloning? Do you think its right or wrong? Do you wanna be cloned? What other possibilities will come from cloning? Give me your opinion....

[Retribution]

Well, I suppose the question you pose is rather vague, but I will try to say what I think on the matter.

I think cloning a body part to save a person is perfectly acceptable. Cloning a human just to run tests on it or treat it like a slave is crazy. Clones still have rights, just like uncloned people do.

Cloning animals might be a good idea. If a species is endangered, you might be able to aid it's return to nature. If you clone an animal like a cow, who people eat alot, it would help alleviate hunger problems in alot of places.

I think we should be careful about cloning. We might start to make stupid decisions, such as enslaving clones, etc. which would put the world in bad shape. Slavery would be OK again, and we'd have a relapse back to about 300 years ago. Cloning humans and then freezing them just for the body parts is also bad. Because once again, they're still humans - just frozen and can't say "NO! Dont cut me!" Clones and uncloned unhumans might have a little bit of difficulty getting along though, one might think they're better than the other.

We shouldn't shun out cloning all together, because it could have so many cures to things. We could run tests on specific organs (if we learn how to grow only organs) to solve things that might be harmful on a human test subject. We could find the cure to cancer, or many other diseases if we use the information for good.

[AzureWolf]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]When it comes to cloning, it's ALL GOOD! Haha, nah, I'm just messin' with ya.

I actually wrote a little story about cloning to reflect my view at the time, but I can't remember what that opinion was. Nowadays, I think cloning would be of great scientific aid, but beyond that, I'm for a case-by-case basis. Cloning will help by removing all variables, so scientists don't have to rely on limited resources and data. You know, it's hard to find two very identical mice, and even then, they aren't the same. So, they can either create the variable by - for example - mutating one gene, or by exposing the mice to different environments.

I'd have a stronger argument to stand by, but after learning of what little we can do with cloning, I don't feel the need to have an opinion on the matter yet. And after learning about what little is known about the whole cloning phenomenon, well, let's just say it's amazing I even care.

There have been shadier things done in the scientific world. And I don't think we have to worry about Altron's post-apocalyptic, sci-fi world just yet.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[3v1l.l33t]

Cloning, I beleive it could be used medicinally but as for making complete copies of one thing I disagree with it all.

[DBZgirl88]

[COLOR=#004a6f]I don't think cloning is right either, unless you clone body parts to help people, like Altron said, or maybe cloning animals for more food, though I think that would cost more than it's worth.

I think it would be disgusting an cruel if people simply cloned humans to run tests on them, though I doubt that's what most scientists are thinking of these days. But even if you simply wanted to clone a human for the sake of it, that's wrong too. First of all, it destroys the concept of family. Sure, your genes might have belonged to someone else biologically, but you don't really have parents in a sense. Second of all, clones have shorter lifespans because they have "old" DNA. The telomeres in their chromosomes are too short, which scientist believe have an impact on your lifespan. That's why the cloned sheep Dolly died so early. So why should you have to subject a human being to such a short life?

If you're religious, you'd know that sex before marriage is not allowed. A child born from parents who aren't married is born a wrongful birth. Ofcourse, this doesn't mean you blame the child. They still have a soul, they're still a human being and should be treated as a human being. A clone is similar in this sense. They were concieved through a wrong way but they are still human biengs with a soul and feelings, and should be treated as a human being.

Altron's idea that clones might be used as slaves is very possible if you ask me. if a scientist made a clone, they might seriously consider themselves, to be the clone's "creator" and assume that the clone belongs to them. However, this assumption would be completely wrong since they never created the cloned cell and it's complex organs in the first place.[/COLOR]

[Doc]

[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]1st off, I believe cloning is good, to a limit. [/color][/size][/font]

[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]2nd, With that said, cloning does have many benifits, such as organ/body part transplants. Scientists can "grow" specific parts of the body, and while using your own DNA, there is about a billion to one ratio that the body will regect that part. That is something great.[/color][/size][/font]
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[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]3rd, contrary to popular belief, clones live thier won lives, and happen to look, and have the exact same blood as another, without them being the exact same person. Going into the "mice" experiments Azurewolf was talking about, for a clone to be exactly the same as the person, they have to live in the exact same enviornments, and the exact same lifes to an ABSOLUTE tee. This being said, it is highly improbable for their to be two EXACT people who are identicle in every aspect.[/color][/size][/font]
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[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]My final thing to say, is directed to Chabichou. Dolly the sheep didn't die of a shortend life span, but that she had contracted lung disease and advanced arthritis at such an early age. Sheep would grow normally to be 12, but died at six. If what I just said helped your argument, then ignore this part ^-^.[/color][/size][/font]
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[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]PS. sorry about all the spelling errors.[/color][/size][/font]

[DBZgirl88]

[COLOR=#004a6f][quote name='Doc']My final thing to say, is directed to Chabichou. Dolly the sheep didn't die of a shortend life span, but that she had contracted lung disease and advanced arthritis at such an early age. Sheep would grow normally to be 12, but died at six. If what I just said helped your argument, then ignore this part ^-^.[/quote]Well, that's at least what I heard, but a shortened lifespan would result form premature old age symptoms. Those diseases, you mentioned were probably cause by this.[/COLOR]

[AzureWolf]

[FONT=book antiqua][SIZE=2][COLOR=blue]Chabichou is right. I won't bore you with the details, but due to the mechanism DNA uses to replicate (semiconservative, 5`-3` direction, and such), there is no way the 3`-5` template strand's ending sequence can be replicated.

So, there exists an enzyme called telomerase, that handles this final part of the replication process. It contains a series of RNA tandem repeats that coincide with the tandem repeats located on DNA/chromosome ends (it makes sense that the ends would contain useless tandem repeats so no important important data can be lost). However, as a person ages, telomerase's activity becomes less and less.

The reason is unknown at this point. However, there are various theories. One idea is that there exists somewhere, on one or more chromosomes, a counter for the number of replications a cell undergoes. This counter is actual an inhibition for telomerase production and/or activity, so the more a cell divides, the less effective telomerase becomes. Therefore, there is a fixed number of divisions a cell can undergo, after which, each replication becomes deleterious to the DNA.

There are others, but I think I made the point. So, if you try to grab a cell from late age, whatever the reason, the number of tandem repeats at the ends of the chromosomes (1 chromosome = 1 really long, looped DNA strand that has telomeres/ends) will be less or nonexistent, so replication becomes deleterious right off the bat.

Hope that made sense, and is helpful at all to the discussion at hand. *is in a rush*[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Doc]

[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]As I said though, if it helps your argument, then forget that it was supposed to be a correction. ^-^[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Century Gothic][size=2][color=gray]PS. Nicely stated Azurewolf, all that information, so very helpful. I can't believe you remembered all that in a rush. WoW!:eek: [/color][/size][/font]

[Baron Samedi]

[size=1]Azure is a Bio major, or something along those lines. He probably talks that stuff in his sleep ~_^

Anyway, I think cloning has the capacity to greatly benefit society, and the possibility to save a lot of people. Same as with stem cell research. I don't think people would ever accept a fully cloned human, but I do think one will be produced, if they ever learn how to. And it will happen in some tiny clinic in the Swiss Alps, and nobody will ever hear about it. Because thats how it works...someone will always want to push the boundaries a little further. But this kind of experimentation will prove immensely usefu, and beneficial.l The [Nazis? Chinese?] who tested horrible things on people, and did all sorts of 'research' during wartime which was morally corrupt and undefendable, actually advanced science a long way. Do the means justify the ends? No, but even in the most reprehensible of situations, good can be gleaned. And I think it is the same with cloning. Especially if they do manage to 'create' a human. Do I think they should? No.

Medicinal benefits, and agricultural [not to mention preservation and resurrection of species] benefits to be found in a cheap and efficient cloning process would be astounding. I think cloning has the capacity to be a great thing, but the capability to be misused. As does anything though.[/size]

[EVA Unit 100]

Cloning animals? Fine.

Cloning body parts to save a life? Definately.

Cloning a human? No. It would just be pointless. (However, creating a real Newtype/Coordinator is another topic...)