Cloning

Name: __________________ Date: ________ Core: ___

One of the greatest introductions to the scientific world in recent times must surely be the
introduction of Dolly, a sheep in Britain. Dolly is no ordinary sheep. It is an exact replicate,
genetically of another adult sheep. The successful cloning of Dolly has captured the imagination
of a worldwide community. Its implications are simply mind-boggling.
Prior to Dolly's birth, scientists once thought that the biological development of cells was
irreversible. As an organism grows, its cells divide. Then, the cells become more specialized by
switching on certain genes inside their nuclei and shutting down others. People assumed that the
genes were shut down for good, but Dolly's arrival appears to show that the process was
reversible. To make Dolly, Ian Wilmut and his colleagues had to wind back the development of
an adult cell. The cell was biochemically reprogrammed to begin life all over again.
Pioneering experiments had begun as early as in 1970, when a team led by John Gurdon at the
University of Cambridge transplanted nuclei from the skin cells of adult frogs into frog eggs
lacking their own nuclei. While some grew into tadpoles, none reached adulthood. Wilmut says
the key to his success lies in the unique way his team manipulates the cells.
Now that an adult sheep has been cloned, there appears no reason why we could not do the same
with humans. Scientists can select a cell from a human donor, fuse it with an unfertilized egg and
implant it into a surrogate mother's womb. However, we are not there yet. Working out the
biochemistry and limits of this `reprogramming of cells' will keep the researchers busy for years.
Nobody knows for sure whether clones could be made with any human adult cell. "Brain and
muscle cells are probably so specialized that you can't reset their clocks," says Wilmut.
The idea itself is truly amazing and it is not impossible. However, some people feel a kind of
horror about producing clones. In Britain, there is already a law against human cloning. In the
States, the government is reviewing the implications of the breakthrough. President Clinton has
said, "I believe we must respect this profound gift (human life) and resist the temptation to
replicate ourselves." If human cloning is possible, these are the ethical questions that need to be
considered. `Who would assume responsibility for her welfare? Who would be her parents and
how would she cope psychologically and socially?'
On the other hand, there are also interesting possibilities. "In many ways cloning could offer
enormous benefits," says one scientist. "You could clone from an adult or a child who is sick to
produce cells that can be used to repair the individual's damaged tissues." Potentially, scientists
could even create brain-dead copies of humans as sources of perfectly-matched organs
transplants. Even then there are objections to this. If brain-dead clones were nurtured and used as
organ banks, "This would radically change the nature of what it is like to be human."

The breakthrough that Dolly has achieved has been described as 'one giant leap into the
unknown'. "Most of the things this technique will be used for have not yet been imagined," says
Wilmut. Nevertheless, with all the heated debate that it has generated, it seems apparent that
mankind is not ready to face a real living human clone yet.

1.

What is cloning, according to the first paragraph?

2.

Explain what does mind-boggling means?

3.

What happens when an organism grows?

4.

How was the process in Dolly's case reversible?

5.

What happened to the eggs with the transplanted nuclei in the pioneering experiments?

6.

Before we can start cloning humans, what do the scientists need to work out first?

7.

What is happening in the States regarding the idea of human cloning?

8.

Give two ethical questions that need to be considered if a human is cloned?

9.

How can a brain-dead clone help us?

10.

Say in what way man shows that he is not ready for human cloning yet and then write out
a phrase from the text to support your answer