In the field of biology, understanding the field of genetics can unlock many great things for fields outside of science. An example can be understanding how DNA fingerprinting can be used to convict a criminal. These ideas are sometimes not well-received by the general public at first, but these small ideas can lead to something big. Mammalian cloning is a subject that allows us to dip our toes into what the rest of the world can do with cloning. Dolly the Sheep is the first mammal to ever be cloned. Now, we clone all sorts of animals for both experimental and sentimental reasons. By sentimental, I am referring to the cloning of pets. There are companies that can clone your pet after it has passed away. It probably brings up the question, what more can our modern scientists do? Human cloning is on the line, and it brings up a debatable idea of whether we should be doing so. According to the NHGRI, no solid scientific evidence has been shown that human embryos have been cloned. Furthermore, the drawbacks of cloning are immense. Of 277 cloned embryos, only Dolly the Sheep was born. This does not touch the topic of modifying the genome itself! There has been a lot of drama around a scientist who used the CRISPR/CAS9 gene-editing system to make two twin babies who are supposedly HIV-immune. Although the scientist delivered data that shows he was successful, ethical repercussions are up in the air.
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