Human Cloning - Should it be done?

The debate on human cloning is probably like none other, touching science, ethics and the law together and at such vitality. The miracle of producing man from man has aroused the interest of many, some hell bent on making it a reality, some more conservative in approach. This article analysis both sides and provides a third perspective.

To formulate an answer to the above question, there is a need to understand the concept of cloning. Cloning is a process of production of one or more plants or animals possessing the same genetic structure as another plant or animal. Cloning can be done in two essential formats:

Embryo cloning - wherein the duplication takes place at the embryo stage of reproduction, and not after cell differentiation. The cell from the embryo that possesses the DNA material of the animal is planted in another embryo. Thus, both the embryos now have the same genetic structure. Hence, the two individuals formed from the two embryos will have the same genetic structure. They will thus be clones of one another.

Adult cloning - involves similar planting of the cell into an embryo. The difference lies in the fact that in this case, the DNA material is obtained from a formed individual, and not from another embryo. The individual that takes birth by this process will be a clone of the individual whose DNA material was used, inasmuch as they will have the same genetic structure. In 1997, this process produced the sheep Dolly, which was produced in the Roslin Institute in Roslin, Scotland.

There is a general misconception that cloned individuals are identical in very way, their thoughts are alike, and they have equal abilities and disabilities. It is not so. Physically though, the two will be identical. All genetic qualities of two persons will be the same. If the DNA of the donor had a defect, by which he was suffering from a genetic disease like Tay Sachs or diabetes, then the same will surface in the cloned individual. Other attributes which have a genetic origin, like height, skin colour, etc will also be the same. However, attributes acquired by DNA donor which are not genetic is nature will not be transferred. A clone of Sachin Tendulkar will not possess the same batting prowess as Sachin. But he could acquire skills to becoming a rocket scientist, something Sachin may not be able to do.

The DNA or Deoxyribonucleic Acid is the genetic code of all individuals. Its structure is a helix. Purine and pyramidine bases are stacked across the two strands forming the helix, creating the impression of a spiral staircase. It is the order of these bases that keep varying from individual to individual. Hence, what genetically identical individuals refer to is that the order of the purine and pyramidine bases is identical.

Nature itself is the greatest cloning agent. In about one of every 75 human conceptions, the fertilised ovum splits for some unknown reason and produces monozygotic (identical) twins. Each has a genetic makeup identical to the other. In cloning, this same operation is done intentionally in a laboratory.

Human cloning, if it ever occurs, will involve two either of the two processes:

The first way involves splitting an embryo into several halves and creating many new individuals from that embryo. The second method of cloning a human involves taking cells from an already existing human being and cloning them, in turn creating other individuals that are identical to that particular person.