cloning
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cloningTRANSCRIPT
CloningClones are organisms that are exact genetic copies. Every single bit of their DNA is identical. Clones can happen naturally—identical twins are just one of many examples. Or they can be made in the lab. Below, find out how natural identical twins are similar to and different from clones made through modern cloning technologies.One of the great ethical debates of our era is the subject of human cloning. Cloning technology is already here, as evidenced by Dolly the sheep. Human cloning creates questions about the soul, the role of God in society, and even the quality of life that a cloned person would have.
There is a possibility of faster aging. Because an older cell is often being used to create a human clone, there is the possibility that this imprinted age could be placed on the growing embryo. This would then create premature aging issues and potentially even premature death, all because of the cloning process.There is a reduced sense of individuality. Though a human clone would undoubtedly be a brand new life with unique preferences, there would still be a potential loss of individuality because a clone is simply a twin of someone else, no matter what the age of that other person may be.It may reduce the overall value of human life. With cloning, there is a real possibility that humans would become more of a commodity than an individual. If you don’t like the child you’ve got, then just go clone another one and get it perfect the next time around. It could also create new societal divisions, where perfected clones may be treated differently than naturally made humans.
There would be a lack of uniqueness and violate convictions regarding human individuality and freedom. Clones could be seen as less than human compared with non-clones.
Children created by cloning would live in the shadow of the genetic donor, always having to live up to the expectations of a person they were created from. Imagine discovering that you are the clone of a child your parents lost, and you live your life always being compared to the dead child.
95% of animal cloning has ended in failure due to genetic defects, and cloning is considered unsafe because of it.
Genetic EngineeringGenetic engineering, or genetic modification, uses a variety of tools and techniques from biotechnology and bioengineering to modify an organism’s genetic makeup. Transgenics refers to those specific genetic engineering processes that remove genetic material from one species of plant or animal and add it to a different species. Due to the high similarity in genetic sequences for proteins among species, transgenic organisms are able to effectively assimilate and express these trans-genes.
2. It is unsafe. In recent years, there have been several deaths due to genetic engineering. The viral vectors that are used to bring the DNA into the cell may cause lethal immune responses or even tumors. While this argument may be valid today, it is probably a technical problem that will eventually be circumvented. Another safety argument is that when transgenes become inserted into the genome, they may disrupt functional genes and cause mutations. This has certainly been seen in mice. (3)
3. We do not know what such genetic technology will be used for. Curing lethal diseases is a good idea, and certainly there are very few people who would be against curing lethal genetic diseases such as Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome or Huntington's chorea. However, these are diseases that can be screened for by pre-implantation genetics. Germline genetic engineering is seen as a very high-tech solution for a problem that can have a relatively low-tech cure. So what might the technology be used for? One possibility is that it could be used for phenotype enhancement. Is baldness or short-stature a disease? Probably not by most standards, although insurance companies differ on that question. So perhaps genetic manipulation will be used to increase height or muscle mass or make people thin. If genes involving intelligence were found, those who could afford this procedure might acquire them, while others would not. Jeremy Rifkin (4) voices his concern that "those families who can afford to program 'superior' genetic traits into their fetuses at conception could assure their offspring an even greater biological advantage, and thus, a social and economic advantage as well." Lee Silver (5) envisions a world where the genetic haves and the genetic have-nots are far apart in their abilities. Genetic engineering would thus convert economic differences into inherited biological differences.
Critics Cite the Dangers of GMO Foodso Scientists can choose which genes to manipulate, but they don't yet know where
in the DNA to precisely insert these genes and they have no way of controlling gene expression. Genes don't work in isolation, changing a few could change the whole picture, with unpredictable results.
o The use of genetically modified food should not be encouraged without research into the risks.
o Not labeling is wrong and unfair to the consumers who should have the right to know what they are buying so they can decide for themselves whether they want to buy the food or not. Even if health safety factors are not an issue, some people might have moral or religious objections. They should not have to eat GMOs if they don't want to.
o Genetically modified crops pose a risk to food diversity as the plants are much more dominant.
o Herbicide-resistant and pesticide-resistant crops could give rise to super-weeds and super-pests that would need newer, stronger chemicals to destroy them.
o GMO crops cross-pollinate with nearby non-GMO plants and could create ecological problems. If this were to happen with GMO foods containing vaccines, antibiotics, contraceptives and so on, it would very well turn into a human health nightmare.
o The claim of ending world hunger with GMOs is false. World hunger is not caused by a shortage of food production, but by sheer mismanagement, and lack of access to food brought about by various social, financial and political causes.
o GMO technology companies patent their crops and also engineer crops so that harvested grain germs are incapable of developing. This is not empowering to impoverished Third World farmers, who cannot save seeds for replanting and have to buy expensive seeds from the companies every year. The new technology also interferes with traditional agricultural methods which may be more suited to local environments.
o GMOs are not the answer to world hunger and health. Instead we should focus on improving organic agricultural practices which are kinder to the earth and healthier for humans.
Issues With GM FoodsA worrisome issue in GM foods is the ability of a food to trigger an allergy in humans. Some of the genes used in GM technology might be taken from a food that causes allergies in some people. Inserting that gene into another organism could cause the host organism to express that allergen as a trait. Alternately, a new allergen could be produced when genes are mixed across different species.
Another potential downside to GM technology is that other organisms in the ecosystem could be harmed, which would lead to a lower level of biodiversity. By removing one pest that harms the crop, you could be removing a food source for an animal. Also, GM crops could prove toxic to an organism in the environment, leading to reduced numbers or extinction of that organism.
Given that some GM foods are modified using bacteria and viruses, there is a fear that we will see the emergence of new diseases. The threat to human health is a worrisome aspect of GM technology and one that has received a great deal of debate.
2. There is no economic value.GMO foods take just as long to mature and take just as much effort to grow, meaning that there is no real economic value to growing GMO foods when compared to non-GMO foods.
Questions for the other team:
1.If the blending of animal and human DNA results, intentionally or not, in chimeric entities possessing degrees of intelligence or sentience never before seen in nonhuman animals, should these entities be given rights and special protections?
2.Who will have access to these technologies and how will scarce resources—such as medical advances and novel treatments—be allocated?3. What, if any, health risks are associated with transgenics and genetically modified foods?13
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