Cloning And Medical Research

Cloning And Medical Research

Cloning And Medical Research

There is no doubt that the cloning of humans has enormous potential in many fields. It seems to solidify, in reality, the procedures that were only seen in sci-fi movies; from the farfetched possibility of an army of cloned soldiers to the more realistic cloning of entire organs for transplants. However, getting to either point requires a lot of cloning experimentation. The questions bioethicists try to answer relate to the delicate line that separates advances in science and issues that relate to human dignity.

Stem Cells from Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT)

SCNT is a procedure where a somatic cell and a germ cell undergo a seemingly simple procedure. The DNA containing nucleus from a somatic cell (from the patient) is removed. The nucleus is then inserted into a germ cell (from a donor) that has its nucleus removed. After a couple of electric shocks designed to fuse the cells and to start the cell division, a blastocyst is formed.