Over the last few years the science of cloning has become more apparent to everyone; through scientific advances it has made it possible for scientists to clone pretty much anything. However, there is a lot of controversy surrounding cloning and whether or not it is ever right or can be justified. However, for the supporters of cloning there are several reasons why it could have great advantages:
Cloning for medical reasons is one of the main ways that cloning is likely to benefit many people throughout the world. The first major research point for medicine would be models of disease. A lot of what scientists know about human diseases they only know because of the use of animals. Scientists use animals, such as mice, and genetically engineer them to carry the disease. The diseases cause their genes to mutate and scientists watch this process and use it to educate their research into finding a cure for humans with the disease. These processes however take a lot of time and do not always work; in order for true effects to be seen several generations of the same family of mice must be used. The science of cloning however could make the whole process much quicker – as they wouldn’t have to wait for the mice to breed – and would also make it possible for scientists to use genetically identical mice for their studies.
Medical professionals could also benefit from the cloning of stem cells. Stem cells are responsible for the growth and repair of all other cells in the body; if they could be cloned then they could be used to treat areas of diseased tissue or even organs. Scientists are currently fighting to be able to use cloning as a way of producing stem cells for both treatment and research.
As well as medical purposes there are many other personal reasons why cloning could be extremely beneficial including the chance to revive endangered and even extinct species. It could also be a way to prevent the heart ache of losing the heart of the family. Whether you have a dog, a cat or a rat you could have them cloned again and again so that they live as long as you do.
Cloning humans – although probably the most controversial topic when it comes to cloning – has the potential to be a huge benefit too. You may question the reason why anyone would want to clone a human but it could mean that infertile couples would always be successful if they decided they wanted to have a baby; rather than IVF there would be a much more certain way for them to have children.
