Reproductive Vs. Therapeutic Cloning

Cloning is a way to make a copy of genetic materials. Reproductive cloning makes a new animal with the exact same genetic material as another. Therapeutic cloning grows new cells.

Considerations

• Some people believe that cloning is playing God.

  Cloning is very expensive and experimental and creates many ethical issues. According to Discover Magazine, the cost for cloning a beloved pet dog was $155,000 in 2009. New techniques may reduce the price to $50,000 in the next three years.

Features

• Cloning can create animals or treat disease.

  Reproductive cloning has been used to create several species of animals by injecting a nucleus from one cell into an unfertilized egg cell that has no nucleus. Animals have been produced by this method, but it has a high rate of failure.

  Therapeutic cloning involves using human stem cells (a cell that can grow into any kind of cell) to treat disease. Ethical concerns exist because this method originally involved using and destroying human embryos. Some recent studies have shown that adult stem cells might work.

Function

• Many people oppose using embryos for cloning.

  Reproductive cloning could be used to save endangered species of animals or to produce healthier animals.

  Therapeutic cloning could be used to treat diseases, regenerate cells in paralysis, or grow missing or damaged parts of the body.

Significance

• Some people believe an embryo is a person.

  The use of embryos for cloning could be considered immoral. Scientists believe that cloning could ultimately produce cures for diseases like Parkinson's or Diabetes.

The Facts

• Congress and the president have made laws concerning cloning.

  Congress has passed several bills on cloning. President Barack Obama made an executive order with guidelines for human stem cell research. The order lifted the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.