One time, in the not so distant past, we thought that the prospect of cloning endangered species or extinct species was pure science fiction. The existence of Dolly the Sheep changed all of that. No longer is the prospect of cloning just part of the imagination of a screenwriter. The possibility has become a reality.
The Process for Cloning Endangered Species
Cloning takes place by stripping the DNA from an embryo and replacing it with the DNA from a ‘sample.’ The sample, of course, has to be a human being or an animal from which a DNA sample has been taken. Once this complicated and technical process has taken place, the resulting embryo is implanted in a uterus, where it grows and is eventually born.
The Value of Cloning Endangered Species
Through this proven process, we can finally protect endangered species. The wildlife that is on the verge of becoming extinct can easily be replenished. This enables us to keep the living things in nature as they have always been, and even enables us to revert back to a time when this wildlife was much more plentiful. This may essentially allow us to restore the balance of nature – so to speak.
You might wander why cloning would be necessary if the species in question is not already extinct, and why we wouldn’t just breed the animals. The truth is that many species of animals are extremely difficult to breed, and attempts are unsuccessful more often than they are successful. Breeding attempts simply cannot keep up with the extinction rate.
Cloning endangered species isn’t the only possibility. Some people are actually cloning their old pets, or their pets that have recently died. Naturally, this costs a great deal of money to accomplish. This is done through a biotechnology company, and there are several now operating around the world.
Cloning Endangered Species Not Possible for All Species
There has been some speculation of not only cloning endangered species, but also in cloning those species which are already extinct, such as dinosaurs. However, the scientific fact is that we could not get a viable sample of DNA for dinosaurs – and even if we could, why would we want to essentially ‘reinvent’ something that does so much destruction, and is such a danger to human beings as a whole?
Even if we had the DNA from dinosaurs, and we wanted them to roam the earth once more, we would also need a living female species that closely resembles dinosaurs to carry the embryos and to act as a mother.
Related Posts
Cloning has been and continues to be researched by scientists for the possible benefits we as a society might receive from the science. There have been multiple arguments both...
Have you ever heard of Dolly the sheep? If not, you should be aware that Dolly was the first successful attempt at cloning. When a person or animal is cloned, a carbon copy of...
Since the cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996, cloning has become something of a buzzword, especially in scientific circles. Formerly a staple of science fiction stories, it entered...
Cloning is a controversial subject. People tend to have different views on cloning of plants than that of cloning animals or humans. Science and Ethics don’t always see eye...
The BP Oil Spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010 has affected an incredible number of human lives, in various ways, but we must also consider the negative...
Leave a Reply
