CLONING

Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments (molecular cloning), cells (cell cloning), or organisms. The term also refers to the production of multiple copies of a product such as digital media or software. The words 'cloning' and 'genetic engineering' are often used by people as though they mean the same thing. Well, they have an overlapping meaning that becomes clear when we look through history. Genetic engineering, in its broadest definition, means to manipulate a species so that a particular trait is increased in the population. A trait is how an organism looks or acts or what it does. Brown eyes is a trait. Flying in circles is a trait. Climbing trees is a trait. The earliest forms of genetic engineering occurred on farms, where most people on earth lived at the time. They managed to do this by selecting seeds from plants that maybe had more fruit production or tastier leaves than other plants of its type. They planted those seeds and grew plants that had more of the favorable traits. Then they chose to save the seeds from the best of that lot to sow the next year. So, year by year, the farmers produced better and better crops. This type of activity probably has been going on since mankind first settled in villages and began making a life for themselves in one location, about 12,000 years ago! The same sort of thing would have also happened with animals. By eating the animals that didn't have favorable traits, like pulling a large load, and letting the animals with the favorable traits reproduce, herds and flocks would slowly develop more and more traits that humans found useful. It was thousands of years before mankind figured out how plants and animals reproduce themselves. With this knowledge, people could pollinate plants by hand or pen a pair of animals together in order to deliberately cause an increase in a favorable trait.

On January 8, 2001, scientists at Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., announced the birth of the first clone of an endangered animal, a baby bull gaur (a large wild ox from India and southeast Asia) named Noah. Although Noah died of an infection unrelated to the procedure, the experiment demonstrated that it is possible to save endangered species through cloning. Pros of Cloning

If the vital organs of the human body can be cloned, they can serve as backup systems for human beings. Cloning body parts can serve as a lifesaver. When a body organ such as a kidney or heart fails to function, it may be possible to replace it with the cloned body organ. Cloning in human beings can prove to be a solution to infertility. Cloning has the potential of serving as an option for producing children. Cloning may make it possible to reproduce a certain trait in human beings. We will be able to produce people with certain qualities, human beings with particular desirable traits, thus making human beings a man-made being! Cloning technologies can prove helpful for the researchers in genetics. They might be able to understand the composition of genes and the effects of genetic constituents on human traits, in a better manner. They will be able to alter genetic constituents in cloned human beings, thus

simplifying their analysis of genes. Cloning may also help us combat a wide range of genetic diseases.Cloning can make it possible for us to obtain customized organisms and harness them for health benefits of society. Cloning can serve as the best means to replicate animals that can be used for research purposes. Cloning can enable the genetic alteration of plants and animals. If positive changes can be brought about in living beings with the help of cloning, it will indeed be a boon to mankind. Cons of Cloning

Cloning created identical genes. It is a process of replicating a genetic constitution, thus hampering the diversity in genes. While lessening the diversity in genes, we weaken our ability of adaptation. Cloning is also detrimental to the beauty that lies in diversity. While cloning allows man to tamper with genetics in human beings, it also makes deliberate reproduction of undesirable traits, a probability. Cloning of body organs might invite malpractices in society. In cloning human organs and using them for transplant, or in cloning human beings themselves, technical and economic barriers will have to be considered. Will cloned organs be cost-effective? Will cloning techniques really reach the common man? Moreover, cloning will put human and animal rights at stake. Will cloning fit into our ethical and moral principles? Cloning will leave man just another man-made being. Won't it devalue mankind? Won't it undermine the value of human life? Cloning is equal to emulating God. Is that easy? Is that risk-free? Many are afraid it is not!