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| Figure 1. Dolly the sheep with her creator, Professor Sir Ian Wilmut. Tanveer Mann/Metro (2018) Retreieved from https://metro.co.uk/2018/04/11/scientist-created-dolly-sheep-cure-parkinsons-now-diagnosed-disease-7457113/ |
Genetic cloning is
a scientific device that draws attention from all crowds. After Dolly the sheep
was successfully cloned, the threshold for genetic cloning was raised
significantly. New companies are emerging that specialize in pet cloning. Families
that have lost their beloved pets have the potential to bring about the birth
of a genetically cloned “twin”. Although, these cloned pets will not be the exact
same as the old pet, they will have a similar appearance and similar characteristics.
Besides cloning
household pets, farm animals and other large animals have also begun to be
successfully cloned. This can pose many benefits as well as many potential
downfalls to the scientific world. The main mechanism used for the process of
genetic cloning involves somatic cell nuclear transfer. Somatic cells involve
any cell that is not reproductive cells. The actual process of cell transfer is
extremely complicated but can be simplified for the sake of the blog.
First the somatic
cells from the clone to be are collected. The maternal DNA is removed from the
oocyte. The oocyte is the female gamete and the unfertilized egg. A somatic
cell is placed next to the egg in the cytoplasm, this will cause the fusion of
the two and create a single cell embryo. This embryo can be cultured in a lab
until it is ready to be transferred to the surrogate for further development. Although
between days 30 and 60 of the cloned pregnancy, there is a 60% chance of pregnancy
loss (Edwards).
There are many
benefits of genetically cloned farm animals. For one, they can completely
revolutionize agribusiness around the world. Animals can be genetically
modified to contain certain traits. This can increase the yield produced from
livestock animals. Some examples of livestock being cloned includes sheep, cattle,
pigs, and goats. These animals can be genetically modified to produce the same
amount of meat or milk as an entire heard of livestock. These animals can also
be genetically modified to become disease resistant. This can protect herd health
and reduce the risk of disease in human populations (Edwards).
Somatic cell
nuclear transfer has also brought up the question of possible de-extinction. De-extinction
is the process of bringing back animals that were extinct. Although, this process
is not the exact same as somatic cell nuclear transfer. Instead of creating
genetic clones, DNA from already existing animals can be modified to contain
the same gene sequences as extinct animals. This would make the creature created
a hybrid, an animal that contains multiple gene sequences. The technology
capable of this is known as Crispr. It modifies genes in a “cut and paste” sort
of method. This allows scientists to add and subtract certain genes. One
example of an animal with potential to be brought back from extinction is the
mammoth. The mammoth still has a roaming ancestor – the Asian elephant. Bones from
the extinct mammoth have been used to extract their DNA and parts of the
mammoth genome have been sequenced. These genes can be copied and pasted in the
Asian elephant and create a hybrid (Marcus).
There are many concerns
from the public over bringing back extinct animals. Beth Shapiro is a professor
or ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz
and has spent a lot of time researching DNA of extinct animals. In one of her
classes, she asked her students to provide
a good case for bringing an animal back from extinction. Shapiro believes it is
important to understand why an animal went extinct in order to decide if it
should be brought back. Some students suggested that the dodo and passenger pigeons
did not need to be brought back. For example, the habitat of the passenger
pigeon is also extinct, so bringing it back would essentially be pointless (Marcus).
There is also
significant backlash from the public over genetically cloning livestock. Many
people believe it is unethical to genetically clone and genetically modify
livestock. The main ethical issue surrounding genetic modification is animal
welfare. To start the process of genetic cloning, oocytes need to be collected.
Livestock donors may have to undergo invasive procedures in order to be induced
to ovulate and then have the oocytes surgically removed. Although, new methods
are being tested on mice in order to decrease the use of invasive procedures in
genetic modifications. Another concern is the amount of embryos that go through
the process of genetic cloning. Many embryos are used in order to successfully
create a genetic clone. Unfortunately, many of the embryos do not survive the
process and only 30% of the successful pregnancies contain the desired genetic
modifications (Ormandy).
It is clear there
are many methods of genetic cloning and they all hold potential benefits to
society. From cloning household pets, creating more sustainable agriculture
practices, to bringing back extinct species, genetic cloning holds potential to change the future. But how ethical is all of this? I believe that is a very
important question everyone should address, leave a comment below on how you
feel about ethical issues surrounding genetic cloning!
By Kara Kropp, University of Florida
References
Edwards, J.L., Schrick,
F.N., McCracken, M.D, Van Amstel, S.R, Hopkins, F.M., Welborn, M.G., Davies,
C.J. 2003. Cloning Adult Farm Animals: A Review of the Possibilities and
Problems Associated with Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer. American
Journal of Reproductive Immunology, 50 (2), 113-123. Retrieved
from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1034/j.1600-0897.2003.00064.x
Marcus, Amy
Dosker. 2018. Meet the Scientists Bringing Extinct Species Back from the
Dead. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/meet-the-scientists-bringing-extinct-species-back-from-the-dead-1539093600
Ormandy, E.
H., Dale, Julie, Griffin, Gilly. 2011. Genetic Engineering of Animals: Ethical
Issues, Including Welfare Concerns. The Canadian Veterinary
Journal, 52(5), 544-550. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3078015/
I found your post to be very interesting, I've heard of genetic cloning before but not the details of it. I thought your writing was very organized and did a great job making unknown topics easy to understand. Something that I was left wondering about is what the cost of genetic cloning is, so you could add something about that because I think it is a very important factor. Also for APA citations make sure you include the year. Asking your audience a question at the end was a great touch! I don't think I am comfortable with genetic cloning in humans because of how it would tear apart our social and economic structure in society.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting topic choice Kara! I loved reading this article and discovering the potential benefits of cloning, especially since the cons usually get more attention. I liked how you incorporated a discussion on the ethical complications associated with cloning. Additionally, something to take into consideration would be the economical factors involved with cloning. Even with the benefits presented, it may not be an economically feasible approach. Overall, very well done, I really enjoyed your writing!
ReplyDeleteGenetic cloning is a very interesting topic to me. Although I am a computer engineering major student, scientific topics related to biology is always something I like to read about. I like how you explained the process of genetic in a simplified way that makes sense for people like me that do not have a biology background. The different application of genetic cloning are also unheard to me. In my opinion, genetic cloning is more helpful than harmful to us. Just like every other scientific discoveries, genetic cloning can be beneficial as long as we are aware about what we should and should not do and find a way to guide us to use the technology in a correct way.
ReplyDeleteYou chose a very controversial topic today; I really like that choice. I think the most important things to discuss is what is controversial because there needs to be a communication of both sides of the topic. Cloning has been in the news lately with some celebrities cloning their pets. I really liked your background information on cloning you made the topic very easy to understand. However, I would recommend putting your significance of this topic in your first paragraph. I think that significance is a great way to introduce a topic to a reader because it tells the reader why they should continue reading. You have a very good significance section I would just move it up.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy this blogpost and the topic you chose. It is very interesting and up and coming with a lot of relevance to many students at the University of Florida who might be interested in pursuing genetic cloning. I really appreciate all of the different applications you discussed in relation to it such farm animals and pets. You explained these very well. One area that could have benefited from further explanation is when you specifically discussed the genetics of this as I found that section kind of confusing.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this article because it can have two sides. The first time we cloned something was a while back but in recent years it seemed no one was talking about it. I liked how you explained certain things we would not have known. The layout is organized and well written. One thing I would say you could have added is the economical cost of cloning because today that is a major factor. Overall, nice work!
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