Unit 5 discussion

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BIO 1121 Unit 5 Discussion Response UNIT 5: Cell Communication Department of Health Sciences University of the People Instructor: Chidozie Udeogu BIOL 1121-01 July 14, 2023
Somatic cell nuclear transfer ( SCNT ). A technique in which the nucleus of a somatic (body) cell is transferred into the cytoplasm of an enucleated egg: an egg with a removed nucleus. Once inside the egg, the somatic nucleus is reprogrammed into a fertilized egg nucleus by egg cytoplasmic factors. Eggs develop to the blastocyst stage, where the inner cell mass of the blastocyst can be cultured with embryonic stem cells ( ESCs ). This process can lead to zygotes, as well as full-fledged organisms. Mouse, monkey, and human ESCs were generated using SCNT. ESCs in humans have potential for both medical and research applications. SCNT has been used to clone a variety of animals, including sheep, cows, pigs, mice, and monkeys. (Stocum, 2016) The simplified process of how a cloned cell is created: A somatic cell is taken from the donor organism, its nucleus is removed. It is then placed in an enucleated egg; this egg is then stimulated to divide. The egg is then transferred into a surrogate mother, and it eventually develops into an exact genetic copy of its donor animal. This is how we created the first cloned animal, Dolly the sheep (Roslin Institute, 2019). This technology has great potential, moving us towards a healthier world, dealing with medical issues, such as:
Creating new organs/tissues that are genetically identical to the recipient: this would eliminate the need for immunosuppressive medicines, as well as a need for black market organ harvesting. The development of new medical procedures that would combat and potentially reverse Alzheimer’s: by using stem cells and bio-identical cells to help the brain regenerate function (Liu et al., 2020). Aiding in the preservation of endangered species; could you imagine a world where we had the Thylacine- Tasmanian Tiger? Helping the agricultural industry become more sustainable through massive cloning of animals, created for specific purposes such as milk production or meat. Some of the potential risks of cloning include: The increased risk of birth defects in cloned animals, which could be caused by the reprogramming of the donor cell nucleus or by the epigenetic changes that occur during cloning. The incentive of commercializing the technology would be massive. Creating a market where only then rich would benefit from its potential. There could be a risk of people in power using this technology to push eugenic ideals for a “pure” race or human beings. The ethical concerns surrounding the cloning of humans, such as the potential for creating designer babies, or even cloning oneself. This raises the question of what makes a human, a human. We cannot ignore the fact that genetic material does not dictate our experience in this world, hence our personalities would be unique from
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