I am intrigued by the possibilities of cloning. Is human cloning possible? Could we use it on nearly extinct animals? What would be the risks of cloning, and if it were a success what might be the outcome?
I am interested in this because I think that cloning should be allowed to go ahead because it could one day help a lot of people. I would like to know as much information as you have on genetic cloning, so that I can gain an understanding of it and how it works. We would also have the ability to feed the starving children in Africa and other third world countries.
I am intrigued by the possibilities of cloning. Is human cloning possible? Could we use it on nearly extinct animals?
Human cloning is not possible at this time. Cloning to preserve endangered species is counter-productive since cloning produces genetically identical organisms. Endangered species usually suffer from a lack of genetic diversity. Cloning only makes the problem worse.
What would be the risks of cloning, and if it were a success what might be the outcome?
Cloning produces a nearly identical genetic copy of the original by taking the nucleus of a cell from an organism and placing inside an egg cell of the same species. The egg needs to “reprogram” the original cell’s DNA to perform embryonic functions. The risks currently are that this process is not always complete and the organism dies at various stages of development, or it is born deficient in some way. Some scientists believe that all clones are genetically handicapped in some way but some are able to survive, but marginally.
I am interested in this because I think that cloning should be allowed to go ahead because it could one day help a lot of people.
We don’t really know yet what cloning could do for anybody. At the moment there are only hopes and wild dreams.
I would like to know as much information as you have on genetic cloning, so that I can gain an understanding of it and how it works.
I have several articles on our website. Check there first: https://www.probe.org/faith-and-science/bioethics/
If we were to be able to clone cows it would mean that we would not have a loss of meat production.
Cloning cows is more expensive than normal reproduction. Currently only bulls are cloned to make more copies of good genetic stock for normal animal husbandry purposes.
We would also have the ability to feed the starving children in Africa and other third world countries.
Unfortunately, cloning will not answer this problem.
I hope you find this helpful.
Respectfully,
Ray Bohlin, Ph.D.
© 2008 Probe Ministries
Dr. Ray Bohlin
Raymond G. Bohlin is Vice President at Probe Ministries. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois (B.S., zoology), North Texas State University (M.S., population genetics), and the University of Texas at Dallas (M.S., Ph.D., molecular biology). He is the co-author of the book The Natural Limits to Biological Change, served as general editor of Creation, Evolution and Modern Science, co-author of Basic Questions on Genetics, Stem Cell Research and Cloning (The BioBasics Series), and has published numerous journal articles. Dr. Bohlin was named a Research Fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture in 1997, 2000 and 2012.
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