Cloning means producing a genetically identical copy of an
individual.
This is how you might be cloned. Scientists would take your
DNA from a skin cell, put this into a woman's egg from which
the DNA has been removed. A zap of electricity would make
the egg divide and after a few days you would have an embryo
genetically identical to you.
There has been a lot of talk about human cloning in the press.
In fact most scientists aren't interested in producing cloned
humans. What they want to do is produce cloned human cells
that can be used to treat diseases.
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Here's how it might work.
Suppose you had a disease that was slowly destroying parts
of your brain. The current treatments only reduce the
symptoms whilst the disease continues to damage your brain.
Cloning offers hope of a cure. |
Scientists would produce a cloned embryo
using DNA from your skin cells. They would then take stem
cells from this embryo, grow them into brain cells in the
lab, and then transplant them into your brain.
Cloning is a different way of using stem cells to treat disease.
Some people prefer this way of obtaining stem cells. After
all, a cloned embryo is a genetic copy of someone who is already
alive and has given their consent. Surely we all have the
right to decide what we do with our own DNA?
In contrast, an embryo in the freezer of a fertility clinic
has been created from a unique mix of sperm and egg - a coupling
that will only ever happen once, producing a totally unique
set of genes that has the potential to become a unique individual.
So which is the better option?
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