Medical, moral and social problems of gene engineering, cloning

Abstract

In bioethics, the ethics of cloning refers to a variety of ethical positions regarding the practice and possibilities of cloning, especially human cloning. Medical problems of cloned humans include: incompatibility of egg and nucleus, birth defects, early death, DNA imprinting errors likewise psychological issues because it affects their behavioral and emotional state. Social Issue: The social issues of cloning tend to focus on human clones in terms of both availability of cloning technology and integration of clones into society. Reproductive cloning raises the question of cost and who should have access. However, the biggest social argument is that cloning negates a person's right to individuality and ignores the potential psychological effects of such a parentless and de-individualized identity. Moral and ethical issues: The key ethical issue with therapeutic cloning is the moral status of the cloned embryo, which is created solely for destruction. The ethical issues with reproductive cloning include genetic damage to the clone, health risks to the mother, very low success rate meaning loss of large numbers of embryos and fetuses, psychological harm to the clone, complex altered familial relationships, and co modification of human life. The main issue in which the moral and ethical aspect of genetic engineering which religion also raises is the misuse of “negative individual eugenics.” This refers to the creation, use and then subsequent death and discard of human fetuses used in many processes of genetic engineering. These unborn fetuses are considered as potential human beings, especially by many religious faiths, such as the Roman Catholics. Cloning is by no means a technology without danger. But we have become so used to being threatened by mass destruction weapons that smaller dangers are often ignored. Cloning should be critically looked into before any measures to proceed with it occur, humans are not animals to be discarded when pleased likewise the cloned ones. The problems of cloning are clearly less important than problems like unemployment, impoverishment and hunger. Although it has its benefits but these problems should not be neglected on the way into the future.