Cloning

[Janus]

It has been proposed by a geneticist who was one of the creators of Dolly that cloning and gene alteration could solve the problems of hereditary diseases. Discuss or you could even discuss human cloning if you want.

Cloning 'could beat gene disease' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5047674.stm)

I personally don't see a reason for actually cloning an entire human unless maybe it was necessary to keep another person alive through donations of vital organs, etc. but this can be done through stem cells rather than actually physically reproducing an entire human.

[Janus]

For those of you who think that clones are inferior, check this out

Mule clones come in second best (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5048860.stm)

It certainly shows that we can clone without creating some physically or genetically weak organism.

[RebelOutcast]

I don't know where anyone would get the idea that a clone would be genetically "weak" since it would be an exact genetic copy of it's "parent" (is that the right word to use? is there a word that denotes the relationship between the clone and the original?)
Being physically weak would be down to environmental factors.

[Janus]

What I meant by genetically weak was if something went wrong in the process. That seems to be on the minds of a lot of people, you know. What to do with a debilitated clone.

[Commie Rat]

Clones are weak because they eliminate evolution practically, with only one genotype, every single creature of that specise is susceptiable, and because most clones are strile (in slective breeding cases) they cannot mutate naturally to combat this (see thread on bannans)

[ComradeRed]

We're having trouble keeping up with the humans that are alive naturally; what good will come from artificially creating humans? (From the aspect of sci fi "Cloning vats" etc)

It would be an impressive feat if a human could be cloned (though it'd be more impressive if one were made "from scratch" -- just the carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, et al.).

I don't really see a problem with cloning; though the Christian fascists oppose, so it must be good :P

[Janus]

Clones are weak because they eliminate evolution practically
I don't see why we would need to eveolve them.



It would be an impressive feat if a human could be cloned
Yes, that would be all that it would really represent.

[bezdomni]

I think cloning organs is a great idea.

[Donnie]

I think cloning would be great but biologically speaking isn't there a problem with cloning, for example if you were to take cells out of a 19 year old and use the cells to create the clone wouldn't that clone only live as long as 19 years because the DNA cells only have information for up to 19 years of growth?

Didn't Dolly the sheep die at the age of 6 because she was created from cells that had not been around that long.

I'aint sure on my biology, could anyone who's good at biology claim this statement to be true?

[Cult of Reason]

??? I thought DNA did not change as people developed. If it did, then maybe it would cause inheritance of aquired characteristics, and that is generally viewed as not being the case. I think that people always keep the same chromosomal DNA as they are born with.

[Janus]

Didn't Dolly the sheep die at the age of 6 because she was created from cells that had not been around that long.
Yes, but that was because of shortened telomeres in her DNA. However, most clones usually have normal telomeres in their DNA and have active telomerase. Therefore, they do not experience premature aging.

[Kuro Morfos]

Cloning is natural seeing as our blood cells can replicate, if not we would all be dead. If genetic modification was not natural, than we would all be clones. So both cannot be unnatural unless life simply did not exist. Therefore the bioethical arguement is flawed. Examples would include viruses that genetically modify our blood cells causing illness. If genetic modification was unnatural, there would be no viral illnesses. An example of cloning would be any micro-organism that makes exact copies of itself. And without genetic modification, all life would be these micro-organisms seeing as DNA would be absolute and unchangable. As for man holding "God's special ability", we already have nuclear power plants which were once the powers only of stars and braught it to Earth. At least with cloning and genetic modification, these are already Earth bound. Nuclear bombs and nuclear power plants are even less natural as they take place in stars, not terrestrial planets. So Americans, I smashed your most major anti-cloning arguement. If you are against cloning and genetic modification, you must also be against nuclear power. If not you are either a hypocrite, or you need to find a new arguement. Of course, Americans are too narrow to even read the arguements of those that disagree with them. And of course, half of Americans are morons seeing as they believe that God created all life instantly, which we know is false. Bioethicists, you are wrong and all your films are nothing but propaganda without any scientific knowledge behind them. In fact, these stupid sci-fi horror writers don't even have an education in biological feilds. Americans are stupid to give them attention, but then again Americans are both emotional and irrational.

[bezdomni]

Originally posted by [email protected] 7 2006, 11:46 PM
??? I thought DNA did not change as people developed. If it did, then maybe it would cause inheritance of aquired characteristics, and that is generally viewed as not being the case. I think that people always keep the same chromosomal DNA as they are born with.
DNA doesn't change by itself, but it can mutate due to exposure to certain chemicals, harsh radiation or other "triggers". Those genetic mutations often result in various forms of cancer.

[pedro san pedro]

Originally posted by Kuro [email protected] 9 2006, 04:45 PM

wtf?

[Cult of Reason]

Originally posted by [email protected] 9 2006, 07:04 AM
DNA doesn't change by itself, but it can mutate due to exposure to certain chemicals, harsh radiation or other "triggers". Those genetic mutations often result in various forms of cancer.
Indeed, but that is an outside influence and not an inherent part of how the body works.

[Janus]

Yes, what happened with Dolly was that the scientists couldn't control all the genes. As a result, Dolly was born with shortened telomeres. She also developed other problems so right now, no one is sure about all the effects of cloning on clones.

telomere (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telomere)