For most of us, cloning seems like some sort of futuristic scientific procedure. However, scientists have been hard at work advancing cloning techniques for many decades. The goals of cloning differ based on the type of cloning is being practiced.
Gene cloning, also known as molecular cloning, provides scientists with a way to study the complexities of proteins. Proteins are molecules formed from large chains of amino acids, and they accomplish almost all of our cellular functions. Scientists study each protein found in the body and also look at the effects when alterations are made to these proteins. Being able to successfully alter and clone proteins might provide us with a way to stop or alleviate problems associated with an array of serious, and even deadly, medical conditions.
Scientists also have had great success with reproductive cloning, another form of cloning technology. In this type, an embryo is created by cloning the nuclear DNA of an existing animal or animal that has died. This was used successfully in the creation of Dolly, a domestic sheep, in 1996. Since this time, other animals also have been cloned, including horses. Some scientists suggest that cloning could eventually be used to bring back extinct animals, a sort of Jurassic Park theory, although probably not on the scale of dinosaurs.
While reproductive cloning produces an animal that is highly similar to the original animal, it is not an exact copy. The DNA inside the nucleus is exactly identical; however, the new animal features unique DNA in the cell's mitochondria.
While ethical questions arise with reproductive cloning, even more controversy surrounds the process of therapeutic cloning. The goal in reproductive cloning is to clone nuclear DNA, create a new embryo, and implant that embryo into a host animal which then gives birth to a new animal. In therapeutic cloning, the goal is to create an embryo, and a few days after creation, scientists extract the stem cells from the embryo. At this point, the embryo is destroyed, so the idea of creating life or potential life and then destroying it is a source of vigorous debate.
The goal of therapeutic cloning is not only to study stem cells, but eventually to use these stem cells to fight diseases such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's disease, Parkinson's disease and hundreds of other medical disorders. The reason why scientists want to use stem cells is because these cells can be changed into any type of cell. There are 220 different types of cells in our bodies, and the idea that you can transform a stem cell into any of these types suggests that you might be able to create new healthy cells, integrate them into the body and then use this therapy to halt or lessen the effects of diseases caused by unhealthy or dying cells.
Gene cloning, also known as molecular cloning, provides scientists with a way to study the complexities of proteins. Proteins are molecules formed from large chains of amino acids, and they accomplish almost all of our cellular functions. Scientists study each protein found in the body and also look at the effects when alterations are made to these proteins. Being able to successfully alter and clone proteins might provide us with a way to stop or alleviate problems associated with an array of serious, and even deadly, medical conditions.
Scientists also have had great success with reproductive cloning, another form of cloning technology. In this type, an embryo is created by cloning the nuclear DNA of an existing animal or animal that has died. This was used successfully in the creation of Dolly, a domestic sheep, in 1996. Since this time, other animals also have been cloned, including horses. Some scientists suggest that cloning could eventually be used to bring back extinct animals, a sort of Jurassic Park theory, although probably not on the scale of dinosaurs.
While reproductive cloning produces an animal that is highly similar to the original animal, it is not an exact copy. The DNA inside the nucleus is exactly identical; however, the new animal features unique DNA in the cell's mitochondria.
While ethical questions arise with reproductive cloning, even more controversy surrounds the process of therapeutic cloning. The goal in reproductive cloning is to clone nuclear DNA, create a new embryo, and implant that embryo into a host animal which then gives birth to a new animal. In therapeutic cloning, the goal is to create an embryo, and a few days after creation, scientists extract the stem cells from the embryo. At this point, the embryo is destroyed, so the idea of creating life or potential life and then destroying it is a source of vigorous debate.
The goal of therapeutic cloning is not only to study stem cells, but eventually to use these stem cells to fight diseases such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's disease, Parkinson's disease and hundreds of other medical disorders. The reason why scientists want to use stem cells is because these cells can be changed into any type of cell. There are 220 different types of cells in our bodies, and the idea that you can transform a stem cell into any of these types suggests that you might be able to create new healthy cells, integrate them into the body and then use this therapy to halt or lessen the effects of diseases caused by unhealthy or dying cells.
About the Author:
Armand Zeiders enjoys writing about biomedical research. For additional details about N-terminal sequencing service, please check out the Primm Biotech site today.
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