Artificial cloning can be of three types, Reproductive cloning, Gene cloning and therapeutic cloning.

Once what was science fictions is slowly becoming a scientific fact triggering all kinds of reactions be it praise, disbelief or apprehensions for the future. Cloning is slowly becoming a reality with more and more researchers working on it and even reports of common people using the technology to bring back what they lost. A U.S based woman cloned her super smart cat.

What is cloning and what are its kinds

Clones are genetically identified individuals. It describes a number of different processes that can be used to produce genetically identical copies of a biological entity. The copied material with same genetic makeup as the original and is referred as a clone.  Clones occur naturally in single-celled organisms where genetically identical offsprings are produced. Identical twins in humans and mammals are also natural twins. But here the topic of discussion is artificial cloning.

Artificial cloning can be of three types, Reproductive cloning, Gene cloning and therapeutic cloning. While gene cloning produces copies of segments of DNA, reproductive cloning produces copies whole animal.

History of cloning and how much progress researchers made so far

Scientists have conducted cloning experiments on wide range of animals in the last 50 years using variety of techniques. The first entity to be cloned was a mouse in 1979. Shortly after that the first genetically identical cow, chicken, sheep was produced through cloning.

In 1996, after 276 attempts scientists cloned the first mammal through a mature (somatic cell. Dolly the lamb was born from udder cell of 6-year-old sheep. Scientists have also cloned a deer, mule, dog, horse from mature cells and even a rhesus monkey from embryo splitting.

Have humans been ever cloned are what are its potential implications

Despite several claims, cloning of humans continue to remain fiction.

In 1998, scientists in South Korea tried to clone human embryo but the experiment was interrupted in early stage. In 2004, a Seoul National University researchers claimed to have. created a cloned embryo in a test tube but the independent scientific committee did not find the claims solid.

Technically cloning humans and other primates is more difficult that other mammals. Optimists suggest human cloning as a way to improve genetic endowment of mankind by cloning individuals of great achievements. Others support development of therapeutic cloning to generate tissues and whole organs to treat patients who otherwise cannot obtain transplants. But until 2018, 70 countries have banned human cloning.

The low success rate of human cloning may improve in future but it will continue to face ethical objections from large number of concerned parties.  Maybe a person’s genetic makeup can be cloned in future but not his features, physiological and anatomical nature that make an individual’s identity that are not determined by a genotype.