On April 24 this year, the Youth League Committee and the Federation of Tongji Medical University organized a debate among college students to argue heatedly about the pros and cons of the development of cloning technology. It seems that the issue of cloning has aroused people's concern and thinking.
Cloning is the translation of Clone, meaning asexual reproduction, and cloning technology is asexual reproduction technology. In the natural world, there are many plants with innate cloning instincts. On the basis of recognizing and mastering the inherent law of cloning technology of plants and animals, scientists have carried out research on cloning of plants and animals, and have achieved remarkable research results.
Cloning technology is a major advance in human science and technology, with breakthrough significance. The application of cloning technology has roughly the following benefits: First, the use of cloning and other biotechnology, change the genotype of crops, produce a large number of disease-resistant, insect-resistant, saline-resistant, etc. new varieties, thereby greatly increasing crop yields. The second is to cultivate a large number of domestic animals with excellent breeds, such as cultivating some cows, sheep and pigs with good meat quality, etc., and also cultivating some dairy cows with high milk production and rich in nutrients needed by the human body. Thirdly, it will have a significant impact on health care, such as relying on molecular cloning technology to figure out disease-causing genes and put forward the molecular biological mechanism of disease production; cloning a transgenic sheep whose milk contains drug proteins for the treatment of hemophilia can better meet the needs of hemophiliacs for dietary therapy; seeking a wider range of sources for organ transplantation, and importing genes for human organs, tissues and immune systems into the body of animals, to grow the required human organs and to produce the required human organs. The introduction of human organ tissues and immune system genes into animals to grow the required human organs can reduce the immune rejection reaction and improve the success rate of transplantation. Fourthly, to protect the environment and endangered plants and animals by reproducing species through cloning technology. Fifth, to provide more suitable animals for medical research, greatly improving the accuracy and safety of the test. And so on.
Some scholars, on the other hand, believe that cloning technology is worrisome, which will fundamentally destroy the uniqueness of individual organisms, and may cause unexpected impacts on the ecosystem. The negative impact of cloning technology, especially human cloning will lead to very difficult social and ethical issues, by the academic community generally attention, a useful discussion. What is technically possible is not the same as what is worthwhile. If scientists only focus on the technical possibilities in cloning research, but ignore or do not consider its value legitimacy, then cloning technology will bring more harm than good to mankind, or even a disaster.
From the perspective of moral value, human cloning has the following aspects: First, from the perspective of social ethics, human cloning is an excessive intervention in human development, which may affect the natural composition and natural development of the human race. Secondly, from the perspective of family ethics, it will exacerbate the tendency of family pluralism, disintegrate the normal order of human relationships, change human kinship relations, and lose the basic sense of belonging. Third, from the point of view of sexual ethics, it will completely change the natural, sexually based reproduction of human beings, separating the generation of population from sexual love and destroying human feelings. Fourth, from the perspective of bioethics, it destroys the right of human beings to possess unique genes, potentially leading to the degradation of the human race, and also destabilizing the normal concepts of life and death.
Some scholars have also critically reflected on the possible negative consequences of cloning technology from a broader perspective. In addition to the moral dimension mentioned above, such negative consequences are also manifested in the following ways: Firstly, at the ecological level, gene duplication caused by cloning technology will threaten the maintenance of genetic diversity, and the evolution of organisms will be in a reverse process, i.e., from complexity to simplicity, which will be extremely unfavorable to the survival of organisms. This is extremely unfavorable to the survival of living things. Secondly, at the cultural level, human cloning is an alternative to and a negation of natural reproduction, breaking the self-regulation of biological evolution, and is typically anti-natural in nature. It runs counter to the basic cultural trend that is emerging today, which emphasizes the unity of heaven and man and the return to nature. Thirdly, at the philosophical level, the self-replication and self-reproduction of human beings through cloning technology may lead to the disruption of the relationship between human beings' body and mind. The irreducible and irreplaceable provisions of human personality lose their uniqueness due to mass replication, and lose the natural basis and biological premise of the self and its personality traits.
When the new technology contradicts people's concepts, it is necessary to approach the issue of bioethics with a rational attitude, respecting both science and technology and human dignity, and letting time resolve the contradictions. The historical development of mankind shows that ethical and moral standards will evolve with the progress and development of society, and that the social and ethical obstacles encountered by human asexual reproduction will be resolved in the future society.
Cloning human embryos: the pros and cons are a double-edged sword
The South Korean researchers said they would seek to clone embryonic stem cells for their medical value, and that they have no interest in making cloned babies.
But the cloned embryos, which thrive in laboratory dishes, are older than the "age" of the artificially fertilized embryos that are put into the uterus for fertility treatments. This means that these cloned embryos have the potential to develop into fetuses.
Gerald Schatten, a researcher in animal cloning at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said it should be noted that the cloned embryos have the potential to develop into fetuses. Shatten said that it should be seen that this result makes human beings another step forward towards cloning human beings. Shatten is against human cloning, but in favor of the research of South Korean scientists.
The South Korean scientists' research has reignited a long-running controversy over human cloning and stem cell research in the United States. Some U.S. organizations have renewed calls for legislation to ban the creation of cloned babies. The call has gained widespread political support because of ethical and medical concerns. However, the U.S. Congress has yet to pass a similar bill. This is because some lawmakers want legislation to ban not only the manufacture of cloned babies, but also cloned embryos used in medical research.
Some feminist activists, on the other hand, oppose the use of cloned human embryos as a means of creating stem cells, saying that it requires many human egg cells and oocyte donors, and that the drugs involved in the process are not without their dangers. Xinhua News Agency for this report
Some scholars argue that cloning technology is worrisome, and that it will fundamentally undermine the uniqueness of individual organisms, with the potential for unintended impacts on ecosystems. The negative impact of cloning technology, especially human cloning will lead to very difficult social and ethical issues, by the academic community generally attention, a useful discussion. What is technically possible is not the same as what is worthwhile. If scientists only focus on the technical possibilities in cloning research, but ignore or do not consider its value legitimacy, then cloning technology will bring more harm than good to mankind, or even a disaster.
But to use cloning to create the tissue cells needed to save a dying organ in the human body is, in my opinion, a great good. On the medical front, organ transplants are still a big problem today, with so many people losing their hope for life every year because they can't wait for a donor, while on the other hand, the criminal organ trade is constantly in the shadows, with some international criminal gangs taking advantage of the disparity in supply and demand for human organs to make a lot of filthy lucre, trafficking in human beings, killing people, stealing babies, smuggling, and so on. A while ago, it was reported that a country's "wolf grandmother" gave her grandson to organ traffickers, which was a horrifying experience.
If one day the need for organ replacement people do not have to transplant other people's organs, just take the body cells cloned as blastocysts, and then get the embryonic stem cells, and ultimately cultured with my exact match to update the diseased organs. In this way, the patient has more hope for a cure, and the organ traffickers who work in the shadows are completely out of business. The cloning of human embryos can indeed produce cells, tissues and even organs that are an exact match for the patient. The fact is that the company has been able to provide a lot of services to its customers.
I hope that "therapeutic cloning" can be used in the clinic as soon as possible to help all leukemia patients to win time and life, so that they can avoid the torture of waiting, and the risk of rejection that still exists after successful matching. For medical institutions, it will no longer be necessary to spend so much manpower and resources to expand the capacity of the bone marrow bank.
Cloning a tiny embryo, not letting it grow any further, and then letting some part of it grow into a heart, a muscle, or even a hair that can be used like a spare part, as needed.
This is too convenient, in the future, human beings are so happy, all parts of the body can be warranted, and do not have to worry about disturbing the daily life and ethics, it is just an early embryo, like a spare parts production machine. These cloned beings are not assembled into a human form in front of you to scare you, but are transferred to your body in installments due to your needs, resulting in the human being and the cloned product becoming one, just like a constantly updated version of a computer system. Thinking about it, it's a little confusing to tell if you're the one waiting for parts to be installed, or the one waiting to develop into parts.
Tell you some more ^_^ Pros and cons
Cloning could bring great benefits to mankind, for example, PPL in the UK has bred ewes with a--1 antitrypsin, a treatment for emphysema, in their milk. The milk sells for $6,000 a liter. A ewe is like a pharmaceutical factory, what is the most effective and convenient way to expand the reproduction of this kind of sheep? The best way is "cloning". Similarly, the Dutch PHP bull, the Israeli LAS company bred sheep that can
produce serum albumin, these high value-added livestock how to effectively reproduce? The answer, of course, is "cloning". The mare with the male donkey can get a particularly strong hybrid advantage of animals - mules, but the mule can not reproduce offspring, so how to expand the reproduction of good mules? The best way is also "cloning", China's giant panda is a national treasure, but the natural mating success rate is low, so it is on the verge of extinction. How to save this kind of rare animal wide cloning" for human beings to provide a practicable way. Mare with male donkey can get a particularly strong hybrid advantage of animals - mules, however, mules can not reproduce offspring, then, how to expand the breeding of good mules? The best way is also "cloning", China's giant panda is a national treasure, but the success rate of natural mating is low, so it is on the verge of extinction. How to save this kind of rare animals, "cloning" provides a practical way for human beings. In addition, animal cloning has an invaluable role to play in the study of cancer biology, immunology and human lifespan. Undeniably, the introduction of "cloned sheep" has also aroused the interest of many people in "human cloning". For example, some people are considering whether they can clone their own cells into an embryo and freeze it before it takes shape. In the future, one day, one's own organ problems, can be removed from the embryo for the culture of this organ, and then replace their own diseased organs, which is the use of cloning method for human beings to provide their own "accessories".
Human cloning has been opposed by the majority of the world's population for a number of reasons: First, it is difficult to identify clones, and the relationship between them and the cloned human being cannot be integrated into existing ethical systems. Secondly, the process of human reproduction no longer requires the participation of both sexes***, which will cause an unbearable impact on the existing social relations and family structure. Thirdly, human cloning technology may be abused and become a tool for terrorists. Fourthly, in terms of biological diversity, a large number of clones with identical genetic structures may induce the widespread spread of new types of diseases, which is unfavorable to the survival of mankind. Fifth, clones may develop psychological defects due to their special identity, forming new social problems.
The discussion of human cloning reminds us that scientific and technological progress is a marching song of mixed emotions. The more technology develops, the more extensive and in-depth its penetration into society, the more likely it is to give rise to many problems related to ethics, morality and law. I would like to conclude this article with the words of Nobel laureate J.D. Watson, a renowned molecular biologist: "It is to be hoped that many biologists, especially those engaged in research on asexual reproduction, will give serious consideration to its implications and will initiate a scientific discussion that will be used to educate the people of the world.
The 191 members of the United Nations are nearly unanimous in their opposition to human cloning, but they are divided on the issue of stem cell cloning and other cloning research. For more than a year, the U.N. General Assembly's Legal Committee has been engaged in heated discussions on the issue. The Costa Rican-led countries argued that all cloning should be banned. The countries led by Belgium argued that some cloning for scientific research should be allowed.
Belgium's official at the UN, Marc Paxtin, said that because of the stalemate over the issue, there is a need for a ban. Paxtin said the two sides finally agreed to a vague and ineffective draft as the basis for future discussions on cloning because of the stalemate. "The international community is so divided that it is impossible to reach a *** understanding on any treaty, and we have to seek a general language formulation that is acceptable to all," he said. The draft, which was proposed by Italy, will be initially discussed by the UN General Assembly's Legal Committee.
At the UN General Assembly in August, US President George W. Bush called for a total ban on cloning. He said, "Human life should not be created or destroyed for the benefit of another human being."
But many researchers believe that stem cell cloning research could be of great benefit to human society, potentially solving several medical challenges.
Human cloning violates human life ethics
Should modern science and technology, especially modern life science and technology, respect ethical principles and listen to ethical voices? Relevant experts pointed out in response to the practice of some science maniacs to secretly clone human beings in the United States - cloning human beings is against the ethics of human life.
Many media in China have recently reproduced a shocking news reported by foreign media: a group of scientific maniacs manipulated by a cult organization are conducting a secret experiment of human cloning in the depths of the desert in Nevada, the United States. Based on the same principle used by British scientists to create the world's first cloned sheep, "Dolly," they are extracting cells from a 10-month-old American baby girl who died in February of this year to create a human clone. "If things go well, the world's first human clone will be born by the end of next year," it said.
After the news was disclosed, cloning technology and the ethical issues it raises once again became a hot topic of discussion. If this news is true, how should we look at this matter, how to correctly evaluate and think about this issue, the reporter visited the National Human Genome South Research Center, director of the Ethics, Law and Society Department, the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Institute of Philosophy Shen Mingxian researcher.
Professor Shen said: Since 1997, when the Rosslyn Institute in the UK successfully cloned the "Dolly" sheep, there have been people abroad who have proposed and attempted to engage in human cloning research, driven by fame and fortune. Although governments have explicitly prohibited it, human cloning-related reports have appeared in the press more than once in the past two years. However, it is indeed shocking that this time it is so fast and linked to a cult organization.
It is understandable that parents who have lost their daughters would want to bring them back to life through cloning. But if scientists use it to conduct experiments on human cloning, it is worth discussing. Prof. Shen believes that even if we put aside the cult, this practice is not desirable. As far as the individual "clone" is concerned, he will live in the shadow of "I am a replica of a dead person", what kind of effect will it have on his psychology?
According to the viewpoint of bioethics, science and technology should be used for the long-term benefit of mankind as a whole. It must follow the four internationally recognized ethical principles of "doing good, doing no harm, autonomy and justice". The successful cloning of the "Dolly" sheep has gone through more than 200 failures, and there have been deformed or aborted sheep. Human cloning is even more complex and will undoubtedly encounter more failures, and it would be a violation of human rights if unhealthy, deformed or short-lived people were created.
The diversity of human genes is the biological basis of human evolution, and the so-called "immortal life" that those science fanatics want to create is actually a replica of the same gene, which may reduce the diversity of genes, and is not conducive to the evolution of human beings themselves. Therefore, human cloning should be firmly opposed, whether from the perspective of the individual, the whole, or from the perspective of social evolution and bioethics.
Professor Shen pointed out that the scientific community now divides cloning into two kinds: therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning. The former is the use of embryonic stem cells to clone human organs for medical research and to solve the problem of insufficient organ transplantation donors, which is supported by both the international scientific community and the ethical community, but there is a prerequisite, that is, the embryos used for therapeutic cloning can not be beyond the limit of 14 days of pregnancy. As for reproductive cloning, commonly known as human cloning, the mainstream opinion of scientists is firmly against it because it violates the principle of bioethics in general. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Human Genome Ethics Committee (IHGE), as well as the governments of various countries, have also made it very clear that they are against reproductive cloning. Even if clones are really born, we still have to stick to this basic position.
Modern science and technology is a double-edged sword, and while it benefits mankind, it also brings some negative effects. This raises a question to us: should modern science and technology, especially modern life science and technology, respect the principle of ethics and listen to the voice of ethics? Prof. Shen pointed out that: nowadays, some scientists propose that as long as it is scientifically possible to do so, it should be done. In fact, this is the wrong view. If it is technically possible for us to create a kind of super-life that would seriously jeopardize mankind, is it also possible to go ahead and do it? It is under the banner of "scientific freedom" that some science nuts do things that are harmful to mankind. Therefore, we have to be vigilant against modern science and technology being utilized by people with ulterior motives. In addition, we should not oppose scientific freedom to ethics and morality. The facts of the development of modern life sciences show that the regulation and guidance of ethics have not fettered the development of science, and listening to the voice of ethics is conducive to a healthier and smoother development of science.
Human cloning violates human life ethics
Modern science and technology, especially modern life science and technology, should we respect the principle of ethics, should we listen to the voice of ethics? Relevant experts pointed out in response to the practice of some science maniacs to secretly clone human beings in the United States - cloning human beings is against the ethics of human life.
Many media in China have recently reproduced a shocking news reported by foreign media: a group of scientific maniacs manipulated by a cult organization are conducting a secret experiment of human cloning in the depths of the desert in Nevada, the United States. Based on the same principle used by British scientists to create the world's first cloned sheep, "Dolly," they are extracting cells from a 10-month-old American baby girl who died in February of this year to create a human clone. "If things go well, the world's first human clone will be born by the end of next year," it said.
After the news was disclosed, cloning technology and the ethical issues it raises once again became a hot topic of discussion. If this news is true, how should we look at this matter, how to correctly evaluate and think about this issue, the reporter visited the National Human Genome South Research Center, director of the Ethics, Law and Society Department, the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Institute of Philosophy Shen Mingxian researcher.
Professor Shen said: Since 1997, when the Rosslyn Institute in the UK successfully cloned the "Dolly" sheep, there have been people abroad who have proposed and attempted to engage in human cloning research, driven by fame and fortune. Although governments have explicitly prohibited it, human cloning-related reports have appeared in the press more than once in the past two years. However, it is indeed shocking that this time it is so fast and linked to a cult organization.
It is understandable that parents who have lost their daughters would want to bring them back to life through cloning. But if scientists use it to conduct experiments on human cloning, it is worth discussing. Prof. Shen believes that even if we put aside the cult, this practice is not desirable. As far as the individual "clone" is concerned, he will live in the shadow of "I am a replica of a dead person", what kind of effect will it have on his psychology?
According to the viewpoint of bioethics, science and technology should be used for the long-term benefit of mankind as a whole. It must follow the four internationally recognized ethical principles of "doing good, doing no harm, autonomy and justice". The successful cloning of the "Dolly" sheep has gone through more than 200 failures, and there have been deformed or aborted sheep. Human cloning is even more complex and will undoubtedly encounter more failures, and it would be a violation of human rights if unhealthy, deformed or short-lived people were created.
The diversity of human genes is the biological basis of human evolution, and the so-called "immortal life" that those science fanatics want to create is actually a replica of the same gene, which may reduce the diversity of genes, and is not conducive to the evolution of human beings themselves. Therefore, human cloning should be firmly opposed, whether from the perspective of the individual, the whole, or from the perspective of social evolution and bioethics.
Professor Shen pointed out that the scientific community now divides cloning into two kinds: therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning. The former is the use of embryonic stem cells to clone human organs for medical research and to solve the problem of insufficient organ transplantation donors, which is supported by both the international scientific community and the ethical community, but there is a prerequisite, that is, the embryos used for therapeutic cloning can not be beyond the limit of 14 days of pregnancy. As for reproductive cloning, commonly known as human cloning, the mainstream opinion of scientists is firmly against it because it violates the principle of bioethics in general. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Human Genome Ethics Committee (IHGE), as well as the governments of various countries, have also made it very clear that they are against reproductive cloning. Even if clones are really born, we still have to stick to this basic position.
Modern science and technology is a double-edged sword, and while it benefits mankind, it also brings some negative effects. This raises a question to us: should modern science and technology, especially modern life science and technology, respect the principle of ethics and listen to the voice of ethics? Prof. Shen pointed out that: nowadays, some scientists propose that as long as it is scientifically possible to do so, it should be done. In fact, this is the wrong view. If it is technically possible for us to create a kind of super-life that would seriously jeopardize mankind, is it also possible to go ahead and do it? It is under the banner of "scientific freedom" that some science nuts do things that are harmful to mankind. Therefore, we have to be vigilant against modern science and technology being utilized by people with ulterior motives. In addition, we should not oppose scientific freedom to ethics and morality. The facts of the development of modern life sciences show that the regulation and guidance of ethics have not fettered the development of science, and listening to the voice of ethics is conducive to a healthier and smoother development of science.
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Raindrops will turn into coffee, seeds will turn into roses, the road gets tired when you walk, the rain breaks when you touch it, only knowledge is the most valuable!
In fact, the most important reason why people can't accept human cloning experiments lies in the obstruction of traditional ethical and moral concepts. For thousands of years, human beings have followed a sexual reproduction method, while human cloning is a product of the laboratory, a life created under human manipulation. Especially in the West, cloning, which "abandons God and separates Adam and Eve," is opposed by many religious organizations. Moreover, the relationship between the clone and the cloned person is contrary to the traditional ethical way of determining kinship by blood. All these make it impossible for clones to find a suitable place in the traditional human ethics. However, as Dr. He Joao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said, "The ethical problems arising from human cloning should be faced squarely, but there is no reason to oppose scientific and technological progress for this reason." The development of human society itself tells us that it is historical progress for science and technology to drive the updating of people's concepts, while it is rigidity to fetter the development of science and technology with obsolete concepts. Historically, blood transfusion technology and organ transplantation have brought about great ethical debates, and when the first test-tube baby was born in 1978, it even set off an uproar, but now, people have been able to deal with all this correctly. This shows that the constant updating of ideological concepts in the face of scientific and technological development has not brought disaster to mankind; on the contrary, it has benefited mankind. As far as cloning technology is concerned, "therapeutic cloning" will bring about breakthroughs in the production of transplanted organs and in overcoming diseases, revolutionizing biotechnology and medical technology. For example, when your daughter needs a bone marrow transplant and no one can provide it for her; when you have unfortunately lost your 5-year-old child and cannot get rid of the pain; when you want to raise your own child but cannot give birth to a child ...... perhaps you will be able to realize the great scientific value and practical significance of cloning. Research on therapeutic cloning and experiments on complete human cloning are complementary and mutually reinforcing. The end point of therapeutic cloning is the emergence of complete human clones, and if utilized correctly, they both can and should be a boon to human society.
Science has always been a double-edged sword. However, the key to whether or not a particular technological advancement is truly beneficial to humanity lies in how humans treat and apply it, rather than choking on it just because it is temporarily unconscionable. It is true that cloning technology, like atomic energy technology, can benefit mankind as well as cause infinite harm. However, the essence of "technophobia" is the fear of the wrong application of technology, not the fear of technology itself. At present, the attitude of countries around the world towards human cloning is mostly "ambiguous". Last year, the United Kingdom passed a bill allowing the cloning of early human embryos with a majority of more than two thirds of the votes cast, and in the United States, Germany and Australia, we have gradually heard voices calling for the relaxation of the restrictions on therapeutic cloning. It can be said that whichever country is the first to master the technology of human cloning means that this country possesses an advantage and takes the initiative, while the country that starts late may suffer losses that cannot be predicted now as a result. As in the case of the United States, it was the first country to master the atomic energy technology, and although this technology showed its sinister side from the very beginning, all countries had to step up their research and experiments in this respect later on. From this point of view alone, it is worthwhile to discuss the simple negative attitude towards human cloning experiments.
As for people's concern that once the cloning technology matures, there will be people with bad intentions who will clone hundreds of "Hitlers" or another celebrity to confuse the public, it is a misunderstanding of cloning. Clones are only copied genetic characteristics, but by the acquired environment, many factors affect the thinking, personality and other social attributes can not be exactly the same, that is, no matter how the development of cloning technology, can only clone the human body, but can not clone the human soul, and the clone and the cloned people have an age gap between them. Therefore, the so-called clone is not an exact copy of the person, the historical figures will not be resurrected, and the real characters do not have to worry about an additional "self" to.
In this case, human cloning is not the devil in Pandora's box, and its so-called "horror" is just a prejudice and misunderstanding based on traditional ethical and moral concepts. Perhaps what people need to do urgently is to look at human cloning rationally with a serious scientific attitude, to reach a *** knowledge through discussion, and to speed up the legislation on human cloning, so as to incorporate it into the strict standardized management.
Xinhua Beijing, January 3 (Song Jian) According to Reuters reports, the cult organization Rael sect French female scientists Brigitte? Boisselier said in an interview with two British and French television stations on the 2nd, the DNA identification of the first baby girl clone born a few days ago will be delayed, while the second clone will be born somewhere in Europe this week.
Boisselier told reporters from France's TV2 and BBC2 that the family of "Eve" is worried about the possibility of trouble if her identity is revealed, as a judge in the US state of Florida has asked the judiciary this week to appoint a legal guardian for the first cloned baby girl, "Eve. The family of Eve is worried about trouble if her identity is disclosed, so the action called for by the outside world to carry out DNA identification of "Eve" has been postponed.
Boisselier said that because of the external pressure on the family of "Eve", decided to consider a few days before replying to the question of whether to accept the DNA identification. Recently, Boisselier had said that the DNA of "Eve" would be identified on December 31, and the results would be announced a week later.
Boisselier also said that a second clone would be born this week somewhere in Europe, and she thought Europeans might be more tolerant of a second clone.
Boisselier announced in the United States on December 27 last year that a cloned baby girl, Eve, had been born "somewhere outside of the United States," and that her birth mother and the clone mother were the same 31-year-old American woman. The news was immediately criticized by the international community and the medical and scientific communities of various countries.