The topic of cloning is undoubtedly one of the most controversial since it causes a lot of controversy and discussion when it comes to debate, however during the investigation of this topic, I was able to understand that science continues to advance and although perhaps it has been slowed down A little regarding this particular topic, it is probably due to the circumstances in which it has been developed and the controversy that this field generates.
During the development of this topic, it only delves into the history of cloning, scientific references, without falling into religious or political questions, since the meaning of the topic itself is lost.
For what I find interesting, to see it from a neutral point of view, to be able to perceive and interpret it for what it really is and what are the consequences that it will bring to civilization, cloning in human beings.
CLONING: MORE THAN JUST A SIMPLE SHEEP
Fictional creatures
The name we all know as Frankenstein, the hero of Mary Shelley's novel, is known around the world whether or not we have read the book. The legend of this character, known for being made up of pieces of corpses, has become an icon of our imagination.
The author's version, differs from the stories that describe the great consequences for human insolence is a very important aspect. Victor Frankenstein used science to create life, without women, without sex and without God since for him science justifies everything.
Scientific activity has been accused of stealing the mystery from some important parts of life, having revealed and explained too many things. But how come we can still think we are special, if we share genes with chimpanzees, rats, and even yeast?
But the main concern is not this, we do not want the power of science to fall into the wrong hands, not even in our hands.
(Klotzko, 2006)
How do we define cloning?
By cloning is understood, according to the author, "creation of genetically identical animals or plants" - identical, as far as the 50,000 different genes that exist in each nucleus of our organism are concerned.
One of the ways to produce genetically identical animals is through the division of embryos or twinning, physically separating the group of cells that are obtained from a single egg fertilized in two or more parts before implanting it in a uterus, this is possible naturally in our species, although normally there is only one primitive line in the embryonic disc, so there is only one baby.
Occasionally, there may be two or more, where twins or multiple pregnancies occur, the appearance of the primitive line marks the beginning of individual development and in humans they appear regularly two weeks after conception. (McLaren, 2003)
Cloning history
(Lester & Hefley, 2000)
The subject of cloning is not a new one for scientists, although before Dolly this was a process that was not among the main subjects of genetic studies, since around thirty years ago or so, it was mainly associated with horticulture and agriculture.
The word "clone" basically refers to a single organism or cells, so that they all have identical hereditary factors anyway. In general, this genetic manipulation known as cloning has been transferred to the most elemental forms of life such as that of mammals.
The first freezing that was successfully completed at minus 70 degrees Celsius was that of bull semen and was announced in 1959. At that time, the procedure was being developed for the insemination process of the cows with the objective of having calves of better quality.
Two years later, in 1952, the first true animal cloning was carried out when frogs were created from asexual cells of a tadpole. And in 1962, other frogs were cloned using tadpole cells, but this time older.
In 1978, a movie called "The Children of Brazil" arrived, setting out a plan to clone little Hitlers. In that same year, baby Louise was conceived in a laboratory test tube, through in vitro fertilization with sperm from a husband and the ovum from his wife.
It was two Englishmen, doctors Patrick Steptoe and RG Edwards who carried out the procedure until the end of the birth; and it was that same year when David Rorvik's book "In Her Image" generated a modest sensation.
During the year 1938, the first time an embryo was transferred from one human mother to another was marked in history and two years later, the first transgenic cattle was announced.
Scientist Ralph Brinster was the one who developed pigs that produced human growth hormone, and the following year Mary Beth Whitehead agreed to become a surrogate mother through artificial insemination, although after birth she wanted to keep the baby, it was delivered to her biological parents.
Cloning in the cinema
The television series known as "The X Files" aired in 1993 targeted fictional clones, but it was "Jurassic Park" that fascinated millions of movie fans by being a movie featuring cloned dinosaurs. When in fact, the facts showed cloned embryos for the first time.
In the year of 1996, actor Michael Keaton cloned himself in a movie called "Multiplicity," but the truth was imposed on science fiction when scientist Ian Wilmut and his team were able to report on the cloning of a sheep. using an adult cell.
Most scientists concluded that the 1993 human embryo cloning and Wilmut's success had led science to take a huge step toward human cloning.
Cloning in mammals
Ian Wilmut and his team set out to change the function of key cells so that they could act differently than when they first came into existence. These researchers took cells from the udder of a six-year-old pregnant sheep.
The result went beyond what they expected, only 18 pregnancies out of the 227 used, were developed. And of those 18, only Dolly was born alive. This was actually an exceptional and momentous success as no one had ever done it before.
The achievement was that the Scots had found a way to bring about changes in all the genes that were necessary to give birth to a sheep from a single cell from an adult sheep.
In addition to this, news came of a cloning of two Rhesus monkeys in Oregon, and it was scientists at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center who developed the two monkey embryos by taking a nucleus from one of the cells in each of the 8 cells of a primitive embryo. They will be raised by mono-surrogate mothers, since they underwent IVF, and could live up to 10 years according to the researchers.
The difference was that in the cloning of monkeys, primitive embryos were duplicated whereas in the cloning of sheep, the stem cells of an adult sheep were used.
All media outlets covered the Dolly event extensively, this during the second week of March 1997. All three major US magazines reported on Dolly, the original story being published in the journal Nature.
Dolly cloning: step by step
- The mammary gland: The first step was to take a cell from the mammary gland of an adult sheep, to remove the nucleus along with the DNA that is the one that stores the genetic information necessary for cloning.
- Recipient ovule: Later, an unfertilized sheep ovum was removed from the nucleus to conserve the cytoplasm, which contains mechanisms that are necessary for the manufacture of cells.
- Union and division: Later, through micro injections, the nucleus of the mammary cell was introduced into the cytoplasm of the ovule, applying electric current to stimulate the union.
- Gestation and birth: The new cell formed was implanted in the uterus of a third sheep. After a period of gestation, an animal identical to the sheep that had contributed the mammary cell, was born.
(Pellini, 2014)
Human clonation
After Dolly's cloning in Scotland, Wilmut and his team received a proposal for human cloning from two families. One of them was the request of a woman to clone her father since she was about to die and the other, of a couple who had lost their daughter in a car accident.
Wilmut immediately rejected the request since he did not conceive the idea that any embryologist he knew was interested in cloning a human being.
The method of human cloning
When a research team is willing to clone a human being, they will most likely follow the path the Scots left. The cloners will take a cell from an adult human and do their best to multiply it, leaving aside the natural process of conception.
The embryo will then implant into a woman's borrowed uterus, where it is supposed to develop into a human fetus and a genetically identical twin will be born to its single mother.
Each of all the trillions of cells in our body (except red blood cells) contains all of our genetic information, from the shape of our ears to the grooves of fingerprints. So theoretically, we could be cloned countless times if there were enough human or artificial wombs for fetuses to come to term.
And so geniuses and talented people who have died could be cloned after they die, as cells can live even for hours after vital organs die.
(Lester & Hefley, 2000)
How will cloning affect us?
Dr. James Watson, who won the Nobel Prize in medicine, believes that the initial response to human cloning will be one of despair. Undoubtedly, human cloning will unleash a torrent of questions that can strike the roots of our society's core values.
Some of the questions might be:
- What will happen to our concept of individuality and uniqueness?
- Could donors and clones suffer from an identity crisis as a result of having the same genes?
- Will cloning destroy the family of mother and father?
- Will the Christian community condemn cloning as a mockery of God?
- The most worrying thing would be if the clones will be in the image and likeness of God or if they will have soul mates.
Among those who oppose is Dr. James Watson as he is concerned that cloning destroys civilization, also Senator Cristopher Bond who thinks that we should not play God, trying to produce humans through cloning, who also wants to exist. a government ban on federal grants intended for use in cloning research.
On the opposite side, they are the disciples of Joseph Fletcher, considered the father of situation ethics and pioneer of biomedical ethics, who supported cloning when providing the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Only the end justifies the means, he believes.
conclusion
Cloning seemed to me a very interesting topic, since without being an expert in the field, I was able to capture the development of science and the achievements that this type of advance represents for medicine.
However, I agree with Dr. James Watson, that if one day a group of researchers decided to carry out human cloning, it would mark the end of civilization as we know it, as wealthy people who probably would not come to it. act correctly, without fear that they could suffer consequences such as death, since they would simply clone and continue to exist until the end of time.
Of course, this is an assumption that I think could happen, but the facts speak for themselves, and despite Dolly's success in cloning since 1997, researchers, or at least what is legally known, have decided not to venture into cloning. human despite the requests they have had from some people.
I consider that if extreme care were taken with cloning, perhaps in the future it would not be something impossible to carry out, regardless of the religion that each of us professes, imminently it is an advance in science.
References
Klotzko, AJ (2006). Do you want to clone yourself? Science and ethics of human cloning. Valencia, Spain: University of Valencia.
Lester, LP, & Hefley, JC (2000). Human cloning: playing God or scientific progress? United States of America: Editorial Spokesperson.
McLaren, A. (2003). Cloning: The look of science. Spain: Editorial Complutense.
Pellini, C. (November 5, 2014). History and biographies. Retrieved on April 18, 2016, from
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