Essay, Paragraph, Speech on “Cloning: A Blessing or A Curse” Complete Paragraph, Speech for Classes 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.

Cloning: A Blessing or A Curse

“Cloning is an advance technological invention for producing a genetic twin of a living thing, an organism that starts life with the same genes as its parents. In mammals, DNA is taken from an adult animal and then it is inserted into an egg cell from another animal. This egg then divides into an embryo. The embryo is then transplanted into a surrogate mother and grown to term. This process has worked in animals like cows, sheep, goats, mice, pigs, while such attempts could not succeed in rabbits, rat, cat, dog, monkey and horse.”

A clone is an organism which is derived from a single parent by non-sexual methods. This makes a clone not only physically, but genetically identical to his parent. Traditionally, cloning is the exact copy of parent plant or parent animal produced by taking a non-reproductive cell from it and developing it artificially. This was the figment of the imagination of some of the world’s leading fiction writers. But in February 1997 this became a reality. The scientists at the Roslin Institute and PPL Therapeutics, near Edinburgh, Scotland were successful in creating the world’s first clone of an adult animal. This was a scientific breakthrough and was intended to provide a boost to the work on ageing, genetics, and medicine.

By September 1997, the Roslin Institute was successful in producing two lambs, Polly and Molly, using a similar technique as in the case of Dolly, the first clone. But both were brought up with the help of cells taken from a 26 day lamb, and carried a human protein gene. The use of “nuclear transfer” method represented a step towards achieving more efficient production of proteins that could be used to treat human disease and injury. Researchers slipped human genetic material into the nuclei of the cells from the lamb. A gene each for high milk-yield and antibiotic resistance was also introduced. These cells were then fused with the egg cells from which the DNA genetic coding had been removed. A surrogate sheep was then impregnated with the embryos thus formed. It gave birth to six lambs out of which Polly and Molly were found to be carrying the added genes.

In India, at Karnal, dairy scientists were successful in producing several identical buffalo calves from a single embryo. The same technique, which was used to produce Dolly, was applied but in this case every cell in the donor embroyo was used to produce identical clones. This would help India produce high milk-yielding calves which would have high resistance towards diseases. Cloning could also help us to save all those animals which feature on the endangered list. Scientists at Bangkok University have launched a 10 year project to replenish Thailand’s dwindling population of wild elephants. It involves cloning a dead white elephant, belonging to the 19th century Monarch Rama III, which has been preserved in alcohol for over hundred years. Scientists in South Korea are planning to save the World’s most threatened feline creature, the Bengal tiger, by cloning it and reintroduce the animal to the Korean peninsula. Thus, we would be able to save a large number of animals, which have been subjected to human greed.

However, like every new invention of science, cloning has its baneful aspects. Dr. Ian Wilmut admitted after Dolly’s birth, that there was a “possibility” of using this technique for human cloning. Worldwide indignation followed thereafter. The entire world was aware of the far-reaching implications of human cloning. There was a possibility of every doctor becoming a Dr. Moreau and ending up producing a Frankenstein. However, and ending up producing a Frankenstein. However, Dr. Richard seed expressed a desire to carry out such experiments for the childless couples. A New York—based scientist Dr. James Grifo has said this technique should be used for human cloning as it accompanies several problems. In an attempt to clone Dolly alone, 277 experiments were carried out before achieving success. Preliminary findings about Dolly’s exact genetic age have shown that her telomeres the appendages on chromosomes that shorten with age, are stunted compared to her milk, born the natural way. Her genetic material is aging three times faster than her actual age. Animal cloning perhaps has not achieved its intended results.

The former U.S. President, Bill Clition, asked a Biotech Advisory Committee to study the implications of human cloning. He asked the committee to review “the ethical and legal issues associated with the development in technology”. He had further asked the administration not to grant state funds for the research on human cloning. According to the President, and attempt towards this direction itself would be Unethical.

The religions leaders who have already expressed their displeasure over test-tube babies said that human ought to be born “in a human way” and not in a laboratory. The Church said that cloning would be an attempt to throttle “the dignity, both of human procreation and of the conjugal union.”

In an attempt to clone humans, man is endeavoring to become GOD. The Vatican has appealed to all countries to enact laws barring human cloning. The UNESCO, in its 25-Article declaration, to protect the individual’s right to dignity and human rights, has banned human cloning.

The success of the cloning experiments in Scotland and Texas, India and other countries, could mean mass production of farm animals, reared for the butcher’s knife. By cloning the endangered animals, man would be able to produce them on a large scale. Soon they would be reared on farms for their fur, skin, skeletons and tusks. He has already raised alligators, snakes and ostriches in farms and skins them alive to produce exotic and fancy items. It has been our greed which has led them towards the brink of extinction.

There is another fear that human cloning could lead to the evolution of super-humans as envisaged by the Nazis. The entire human race could then be subjugated by these genetically engineered marvels. Thus by human cloning, society will tear to pieces. It can endanger the very existence of human being in this world. We have already entered a new millennium, any effort towards human cloning or production of cloned animals could spell doom. As humans, we have to act with restraint and good sense.