No 29

Cloning)

The dictionary definition of cloning is “the asexual reproduction of offspring” or, in common terms: the reproduction of genetically identical offspring from tissue originating from the host that is to be cloned. The process involves taking an unfertilized egg cell from the female and removing the nucleus; this process renders it incapable of developing. Then a cell is removed from the host and its nucleus is removed and placed in the female enucleated egg cell. All the necessary genes are present in this newly formed egg and it is placed in the recipient embryo and is allowed to develop.

The process looks simple but is highly complex and we all remember Dolly the sheep that was cloned by Ian Wilmot in 1977. Since then, success in cloning other animals or plants has been very minimal because of the nucleus removal and all that it entails is very difficult. Most of the cells are destroyed in the process and the results are quite unreliable. Human cloning research has been outlawed in almost every country in the world. One scientist (a non-Christian) said that he believes that human cloning will never work because of the complexities of the nucleus transferral. England has recently claimed to have successfully cloned a human being.

Remarkably, cloning can be utilized as an example of how God created all living things. In cloning, you can’t place two sheep in a pen or an enclosure and say to them “please clone yourselves”; nothing will happen. The sheep will reproduce, but they won’t clone. It takes a scientist outside the pen who knows genetics and is capable of doing the work. God did the same when He created all things; mankind could not create itself – “O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.” Psalm 104:24

Cloning, although quite controversial, may one day help mankind. There is another area of genetics that is very controversial and very unethical : stem cell reproduction; we will look at this next time.