Cloning and Fetal Research

Name:

Tutor:

Course:

Date:

Cloning and Fetal Research

Question 1

A clone is a genetically identical organism or cell to the organism from which it was created. It is an imitation of the original organism

Question 2

God does not allow cloning to occur. This is elaborated by the bible where He supports conception in the womb and the actual delivery of a human being.

Question 3

A soul is a component that is immortal and lives on after a person dies; this opinion is held by theologians. It is therefore, considered reasonable to state that being physically alive indicates there is also a living soul. A human clone will therefore, have a soul despite having been created artificially.

Question 4

Cloning has various beneficial uses. It can be used to reverse heart attacks, clone organs and tissues that can be used in transplants and skin grafting and help infertile couples to have children. Cloning can also provide safe materials for cosmetic surgery, reduce cases of cancer like leukemia by cloning bone marrows that can replace the cancerous ones, and cure genetic diseases.

 

Question 5

The similarity between therapeutic and reproductive cloning is both are cloning methods that are aimed at creating part of or a complete human being.

Question 6

The difference between therapeutic and reproductive cloning is that therapeutic cloning permits the cloned embryo to develop over a limited time, then it is destroyed for research to be conducted on their stem cells. However, in reproductive cloning the cloned embryos are allowed to grow to maturity and eventual birth.

Question 7

A blastocyst is a mass of cells that forms a few days after the fertilization of the ova. It develops into an embryo. The key sources of the blastocyst are the pre-embryos from in vitro fertilization, and somatic cell nuclear transfer and reprogramming mature adults cell to produce embryo-like stems cells.

Question 8

People are against cloning because

1. It is against the religion which believes that God is the sole creator of life
2. It is morally wrong to kill the human embryo as it is equated to killing a person.
3. The technology can be used as a weapon to start wars and slavery. In the wrong hands, it can be used for personal gain

Question 9

Other concern is that, in the case of an infertile couple, the cloned child may not live up to the requirements of the parents. This leads to rejection by the parents resulting to an increase in children in orphanages.

Question 10

A stem cell is an undifferentiated cell that has the potential to differentiate into various types of cells in the body.

Question 11

Embryonic stem cells are better than other stem cells because they are pluripotent. Compared to other stem cells that only differentiate into a specific cell depending on the part of the body they are derived from, the embryonic ones are superior.

Question 12

The three potential sources of pluripotent cells are

1. Fetal tissue
2. ‘Extra’ frozen embryos at fertility clinics
3. Undifferentiating cheek cells

Isaiah 44:24-45:13

The verses state that creation of life starts in the womb. Therefore, human cloning and fetal research deviate from the intended purpose of human life forming inside the womb and not a Petri dish.

Psalm 22:9-11

The verse illustrates that life begins and develops in the womb. Therefore, the basis of human cloning where the embryos are denied the chance to develop to full term is morally wrong.

Psalm 51:5

Conception occurs in the woman’s womb. Methods of obtaining blastocyst that develop into embryos without invitro fertilization go against the theological view that conception should be invitro.

Jeremiah 1:5

The verse demonstrates that creation of a human being occurs in the womb. This opposes the ideology behind cloning which supports the idea of creating human forms outside the womb.

Exodus 21:22

A human fetus resides and grows in the womb. The designated location for the human form to develop is the womb and growth should be allowed, this opinion contradicts the basis of cloning and fetal research

Luke 1:39-45

The fetus in the womb is alive and capable of movement and expression. This clearly shows that the destruction of embryos during research is indeed an act of murder as it is a living being.

Genesis 25:21-24:

 Conception occurs in the womb, and identical beings are only those formed in the womb together. The basis of cloning and fetal research is creating a replica of the original organism artificially; this is contrary to the standpoint of the bible that is identical people should develop simultaneously as individual original copies.

Question 11

A human receives the soul on conception. As illustrated by the scriptures children, whether born or unborn remain children thus they are living beings with souls

Question 12

A human becomes sinful at conception as illustrated by Psalms 51:5. This indicates that the unborn child has a sinful nature despite there not being a manifestation of physical sin.

 

 

Question 13

Human beings receive the grace of God at conception. The bible states that the grace of God is given to His children. An unborn child qualifies to receive God’s grace.