preview

Cloning Endangered Species Essay

Good Essays

Fierce, magnificent, and free. On June 20, 1782 the bald eagle was unofficially declared as the representative of the United States of America. Instead of protecting the national emblem, “on July 4, 1976, the US Fish and Wildlife Service officially listed the bald eagle as a national endangered species” (History of…). The representation of the country’s freedom, strength, and beauty lies heavily on this bird; if it were to become an extinct species, what would that say for the United States? There is a very realistic and near-future solution: cloning. The topic of cloning, which has become a part of modern-day society, is a controversial topic because it has become an unfathomable concept to those who still hold the traditional values. …show more content…

The cell grows into a normal egg and the egg grows into a normal baby that is then born (Tamang). The third way a clone can be created is the “Honolulu Technique.” It is the most recent and most effective technique. Donor nuclei are enucleated and inserted into egg cells. There is no vitro (fertilization of an egg in a laboratory dish or test tube) like nuclear transfer. The egg cells are placed in a chemical culture to jumpstart the cell’s growth, just like fertilization in nature. The cells develop into embryos which will be transplanted into a surrogate mother and born like a normal baby ("Three Ways…”). Frozen zoos collect sperm, cells, and other tissues of endangered and even extinct animals and are important to the success of saving endangered species (Hembree). The cells are kept viable for an indefinite amount of time due to frozen zoos. These frozen zoos allow scientists to extract certain genes that need to be added back into a gene pool of a certain species and can reduce the amount of illnesses and diseases by not reproducing animals with those sicknesses (Friedman). Technology is the sole reason cloning is even possible, but it is not enough to save endangered species on its own. Due to technology, extinct species may even possible be brought back into existence. A closely related species, currently living, that could serve as a surrogate mother and a well-preserved source of DNA from the extinct

Get Access