Cloning in Humans

The Bioethical Focus article entitled "Cloning in Humans" gives us some basic background information on cloning. However, after reading this article I wanted more insight on the topic of cloning, so I researched it more in depth on the Internet. After looking up a few different articles on cloning I have come to a decision concerning where I stand on this controversial issue. Personally, I believe that human cloning should be banned in the United States, except for in few certain circumstances. For instance, one benefit of cloning could be in the use for medicine. If cloning were used for medical purposes, scientist would be able to create healthy lungs for cancer patients, or new hearts for heart patients, which would drastically reduce waiting lists for people who need vital organ transplants to live. Human cloning also gives rise to the production of stem cells. Stem cells have the ability to develop into all kinds of cells, for example, neuron cells, kidney cells or liver cells, thus stem cells can be used to culture human tissues and organs. Another instance would be one that the article from our book mentions: the use of cloning for parents to produce a child free of genetic diseases.

In the case of cloning in order to produce improved breeds of farm animals, I still take the stand of banning it in the United States. Cloning animals is quit expensive, and there is a low success rate. For instance, it took 277 tries to produce Dolly, and Roslin scientists produced many lambs with abnormalities.

So is cloning right or wrong? It depends on how you look at it. While there are benefits, there are also risks. There is a good and a bad side to it. And just like in many other issues, you have to decide for yourself whether it is good or bad

...