In Support of Human Cloning Research
I. Human Cloning and the Scientific Community
A. One of the most controversial issues in scientific
research and medical ethics centers upon human cloning
or the use of human genetic materials, including stem
cells to replicate human life or specific organs.
B. The U.S. Congress and the president of the United
States have given limited permission for stem cell and
cloning research, but debate over the ethics and legality
of such research and, more particularly, its application
C. Genetic engineering and human cloning promise to
offer powerful solutions to human medical problems and
to offer strategies for eradicating disease, eliminating
birth defects, and otherwise improving the quality of
A. In general, cloning consists of using human or animal
genetic materials such as embryonic stem cells to
B. There are currently some 60 recognized strains of
human stem cells that are available for scientific and
medical research, for which the U.S. allows federal funds
C. The embryos from which the existing stem cell lines
have been created have already been destroyed and no
longer have the possibility of further development as
D. An emphasis on the value of human life is evident in
both human genomics and embryonic stem cell research,
E. To date, while sheep have been cloned, no evidence
exists that a successful human clone has been created
though human stem cells have been used successfully in
A. Those who argue against human cloning take the
position that the science of eugenics has the potential
to be abused as it was by Nazi scientists seeking to
B. Those who support cloning research argue that the
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