The first cloning application was carried out in 1957, 40 years after the Nobel Prize winner Müller declared that in the future, human likenesses could be created by nuclear transfer. Dr. Ian Wilmut and his team have succeeded in cloning a sheep (Dolly). How a fertilized egg creates about 60 quadrillion different cells has not yet been fully answered. To solve this, cells from the mammary tissue of 6-year-old “Finn Dorset” sheep were cultured in a nutrient-poor medium and the nuclei of the dormant mammary cell were taken and transferred to this egg cell. The egg was stimulated with an electric shock, and the cells were divided outside the body until it reached a certain stage, and after about 6 days, the embryo was placed in the womb of a third sheep, the “Black-face” sheep, which was a surrogate mother. At the end of the pregnancy, Finn Dorset lamb was born from Black-face sheep in terms of genetic structure.
Pros:
- Preservation of endangered species: Cloning can help preserve endangered species by creating a genetic duplicate of an animal that is in danger of extinction.
- Medical research: Cloning can be used for medical research, such as creating disease models, studying the effects of drugs, and developing therapies for genetic disorders.
- Organ transplantation: Cloning can provide a source of organs for transplantation, which could help save lives.
- Agriculture: Cloning can be used to produce genetically identical animals with desirable traits, such as high milk production or disease resistance.
- Reproduction: Cloning can allow infertile couples to have children genetically related to them.
- Enhanced food production: Cloning can be used to create plants with desirable traits such as drought or pest resistance, which can increase food production and reduce the use of pesticides.
- Rapid development of new varieties: Cloning can speed up the process of developing new varieties of plants and animals with desirable traits.
- Conservation: Cloning can help preserve genetic diversity by creating genetic copies of individuals with unique traits.
- Disease research: Cloning can be used to create genetically identical animals for disease research, which can help improve our understanding of various diseases and develop treatments.
- Biotechnology: Cloning can be used in various biotechnological applications, such as producing large quantities of proteins or enzymes for industrial or medical use.
Cons:
- Ethical concerns: Cloning raises ethical concerns about the manipulation and control of life, and the potential exploitation of cloned animals.
- Health risks: Cloned animals have been shown to have higher rates of health problems and abnormalities, which can reduce their quality of life.
- Cost: Cloning is expensive and can require significant resources and technology.
- Genetic diversity: Cloning reduces genetic diversity, which can have negative consequences for populations and ecosystems.
- Social concerns: Cloning could have social implications, such as changing the way people view reproduction and family.
- Unpredictable outcomes: The cloning process can produce unpredictable outcomes, such as genetic abnormalities or unexpected traits.
- Risk of exploitation: Cloned animals could be exploited for commercial purposes, such as in the meat or dairy industries.
- Emotional concerns: Cloned animals could be viewed as less valuable or meaningful, leading to emotional concerns about the treatment of these animals.
- Legal issues: Cloning raises legal questions, such as who owns the cloned organism or its genetic material.
- Negative impact on biodiversity: Cloning could have a negative impact on biodiversity, as it reduces genetic diversity and can lead to the loss of unique traits and adaptations.