Issues in Cloning

While now scientifically possible, cloning is a thought-provoking and controversial issue. Scientists around the world have successfully cloned several species of animals. Human cloning is the next big step, but there are many questions to answer and decisions to make first. There are many possible benefits, but there are also problems involving ethics, legality and potential dangers of cloning.

Legal

• While scientists have claimed to have cloned human embryos already, it is illegal in North America, so these claims and reports have no scientific validity. The idea of cloning has existed for some time, but it has only become possible in the last 20 years. Lawmakers have not created new laws making cloning legal for various reasons linked to the next two sections. Since cloning is a relatively new technology, however, it is possible that the government will eventually decide to allow it for research into possible medical breakthroughs.

Moral

• The moral and ethical implications of cloning are vast. Representatives of various religions as well as nonbelievers argue that humans should not manipulate human embryos or try to create new life. On the other hand, in vitro fertilization is legal and very similar to the procedure for cloning, albeit less risky. Cloned mammals have shorter lifespans than their counterparts, so knowingly making a human clone could be considered unethical, since there is little chance that he will live very long.

Potential Danger

• There are numerous potential dangers for any kind of cloning, but they are especially relevant for humans. To clone an embryo, scientists remove a cell's nucleus and replace it with the nucleus to be cloned. Since this process is abrasive and can damage the cell, cloned embryos only have a slight chance of developing normally or growing in the womb. This means that scientists would either have to abort human embryos or allow mutated, disfigured failed clones to be born. Cloning also presents greater social risks of mass cloning, genetic manipulation and identity theft, as well as illegitimate organ harvesting or exploitation of cloned organisms.