Question

What is therapeutic cloning and how does it differ from reproductive cloning? What are the moral issues raised by each type of cloning?

Answer 1

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THERAPEUTIC AND REPRODUCTIVE CLONING:

A therapeutic cloning is removal of nucleus from a somatic cell and injecting into an unfertilized egg from which the nucleus is removed. The newly formed entity is placed in culture from which after 4-5 days the embryonic stem cells can be removed and can be used to develop many other embryonic stem cells in culture. The therapeutic cloning is many done to develop new modalities in treatment, not to form human embryonic cells. But the reproductive cloning is done by transfering the newly formed embryo through therapeutic cloning into womb of a women that would develop into fetus. That means reproductive cloning is used to develop human embryonic cells. This is the major difference between the two types of cloning.

MORAL ISSUES INVOLVED IN CLONING:

Certain moral issues are involved with both reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning. In therapeutic cloning,the moral issue is regarding the destruction of the young embryo which is considered to be the beginning of life. Other issue is large number of human eggs are needed to produce a single cloned cell.

The fact that the embryos created by reproductive cloning have an increased chance to develop abnormalities, have generated an issue about its safe medical use. Questions have risen ambiguous relationship of a cloned child with the progenitor. There have been issues regarding confusing the personal identity and harming the psychological development of a clone. This practice is also considered to be undermining the concept of reproduction and contrary to human dignity.