Cloning Technology: With Respect to Faith and Reason Essay

Understanding DNA can take a lot of studying and confusion to even get the general idea of the concept. The structure of DNA is very complicated and complex to understand, but researchers James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin all developed the idea of the DNA structure in 1953. Deoxyribonucleic Acid is found in the nucleus of the cell. It is a double stranded molecule that contains the genetic code and is the main component of chromosomes. DNA is the blueprint of organisms. Nucleotides are the basic unit of DNA and they are made up of sugar, phosphate, and one of the four basis including adenine,

Unlike some movies, cloning in real life doesn’t produce a full grown exact replica of someone. A type of cloning that occurs naturally is when identical twins are born (“What Is Cloning?”). Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a type of cloning that has to be done in a lab. In SCNT they take the nucleolus out of an egg cell, replace it with the nucleolus of a somatic cell (body cell with two complete sets of chromosomes), and make the egg cell divide into a blastocyst (“What Is Cloning?”).

In Time Magazine an article states On February 28 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick broke the DNA code and discovered that the DNA strand is double helix and forms like a ladder. They found that cytosine and guanine were paired together and that adenine and thymine were paired. They discovered the building block of life (Wright, 1999). DNA is found in all living organisms.

Six years ago, an event in genetic history changed our perspective on "reproduction" and added to our conscience a new element in the study of biology. On February 23, 1997, the world was introduced to Dolly, a 6-month-old lamb that was cloned from a single cell taken from the tissue of an adult donor. Ever since the birth of this sheep, a question that never before existed now lingers in the mind of many: should human cloning be a part of our society?

Scientist in early 1950s James Watson a biologist from Indiana University and Francis Crick a physicist were working at lab to discover the structure of DNA. The primary technique for structural analysis of biological molecules is X-rays. The wave length of X-ray is about the same as the space between the atoms in crystal matters. We learn and know that genetic information was carried on chromosomes made up of DNA and protein. Maurice decided and taken the first x-ray picture of DNA that lead him to suggest the DNA structure might be a helix. Watson was able to rely on Wilkins' research. If he had not, he may have not been the one to discover the structure of DNA. The biggest thing I learned from my research is that scientists can’t make discoveries

    When one thinks of cloning, what comes to mind?  Movies such as "Multiplicity" can give the lay person a very distorted image of cloning.  In this particular movie, actor Michael Keaton plays a father who cannot handle his crazily busy lifestyle.  In an effort to be the perfect father, husband and employee, he has himself cloned fairly easily at a nearby medical center.  The three clones each have their own personality: one is sarcastic and bitter, one is sweet and sensitive and one is a half-wit- but all are identical.  This cloning process is completely false.  At this time, scientists have cloned animals including Rhesus monkeys, mice and probably the biggest breakthrough:

A mad scientist stands in one part of a double-chambered machine, leaving the other empty. As he presses a button, gears begin to whir and smoke. A bright light flashes, and out of the empty chamber steps a perfect replica of the scientist, complete with clothes and command of the English language.

Cloning is an exciting and ongoing field of study with many great possibilities, and negative drawbacks; this leaves many Christians wrestling with the idea of cloning, trying to decide where to stand on, for or against it. To follow, in the paper is an explanation of what cloning is and the uses of cloning at the present and projected in the future. After that the focus will be on the problems with cloning from a non-ethical stance. Finally the issue of cloning and Christian’s views on it will be addressed.

cloning like any other medical experiment (johansen, 2001) . Second, cloning eliminates the need of reproduction, because from 1 individual you can have 100 copy that looks the same. No one will be unique anymore. Cloning is creating a body that does not contain a soul, it is creating just a zombie (Is human cloning wrong?, 2016). Third, psychology and physical harms to the person cloned will be present. This harm comes from the fact that the parents will treat the child as they have a second chance of him (Bhargava, 2010).

In 1953 four scientists: James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin completed a DNA model which they created using observed X-ray diffraction patterns. This model showed how the structure of DNA was able to transmit genetic information from parents to their offspring.

The Use of Cloning Technologies The ethical debate concerning cloning that has inevitably followed since the announcement and much celebrated birth of Dolly the Sheep in 1997, is highly charged and emotive. When human cloning is mentioned it normally has negative connotations with the individual conjuring up a mental picture of a sub-human creature with an almost Frankenstein like appearance. Many people are afraid of the idea because it is a new technology and relatively misunderstood, and with the media using shock headlines to sell newspapers, this alone feeds the fear within us.

The year is 2020. You are walking down the street and you see your friend. You give your friend a wave and continue with your walk, but then you pass by your friend again. This makes you turn around, you think your head is playing games on you. But when you turn around there is not one, but two of the exact same people standing in front of your eyes. This is an example of what cloning can be in the future. People one day will be able to create another version of themselves or someone else. Cloning does not just apply to creating whole humans, but also discusses the attempt to create new cells to help cure different diseases. Science and religion often clash, and in this situation they do through majority of the religions.

    Despite evidence that nearly all cloned animals are plagued by significant genetic abnormalities, two scientist groups have announced their plans to impregnate women with cloned embryos, each proposing to create the world's first cloned human being.

1953, Watson and Crick discovered one of the biggest mysteries of the human body; the DNA

Being able to cure diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease or diseases such as diabetes has been an issue that many scientists have tried to crack, especially since they’re such huge issues affecting up to 26-28 million people alone in the United States. But what if they were possible to cure, well that’s where therapeutic cloning comes into play. Therapeutic cloning involves using embryonic stem cells to cure or treat diseases which currently have no known cure, such as Parkinson's disease. Therapeutic cloning uses a process called somatic cell nuclear transplant, where genetic material from one cell is placed into the nucleus of an egg to create an embryo with stem cells which produce an exact genetic match. It is then possible to use the stem cells created to create new organs which the patient’s body will not reject due to it having the same genetic material. Once obtained stem cells can be used to be grown into any type of cell in the body and therefore could be used to cure/treat diseases such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis. Although this seems like a great option, it has not yet being approved due to being hugely criticized and not recommended. This is due to people’s belief that it is morally wrong due to the nature of the procedure as it involves destroying embryos to obtain their stem cells. There are many arguments against therapeutic cloning, including: the destruction of embryos, the possibility of the