One of the motives put forth for human cloning is that people want to replace children or other loved ones who have died. To what extent could a clone of a loved one be a replacement for that person? If the technique had then been available, should doctors in the nineteenth century have preserved the DNA of Abraham Lincoln for cloning?
Adv.
Before considering the fact to use cloning to replace children or other loved ones who had died, it is important to note that birth and death are a part of nature and altering this process would be against nature.
The procedure of reproductive cloning can be followed to produce human clones. However, till date, no human being has ever been cloned. In case, if humans were cloned, they would be like zerox copies of the person, who’s DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) was used in cloning. An advantage of cloning is that even the DNA of an 80- year old human can be used. Also, DNA of people, who died can be isolated and used for cloning.
It is therefore clear that cloning is possible in humans, but it is also important to note that every technique has its own advantages and disadvantages. It has been observed so far that new born clones in animals expressed respiratory and circulatory problems, leading to death. The possibility of new born cloned animals to suffer from immune system dysfunction, kidney problems or brain malformation is also high.
A clone of a loved one would be a replacement for that person, however it has to be noted that a clone cannot be the in the same age of the person, who is being replaced. As the cloned cell is introduced into a surrogate mother and the mother gives birth to the clone baby, through cloning, only new born babies can be produced, who has all the ability to grow into an adult.
If this technique would have been available in nineteenth century, the doctors could have used the DNA of Abraham Lincoln for cloning. However, human cloning has not been attempted till date. As birth and death are a part of nature, commercialization of human cloning would be against nature.