Cloning – copying living beings. The stuff of science-fiction, right? You might have heard of the cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996. She was “made” at the Roslin Institute in Midlothian, Scotland, and she lived there until her death, at the age of 6. Now scientists have taken the technique one step closer to humans: they have cloned two macaque monkeys.
According to the National Geographic, the monkeys, who are only a few weeks old, are healthy and currently living in an incubator.
But why clone them, or any other living being? Researchers have stated that clones of animals should only be used in biomedical research. Researchers have also said that this method of cloning is not intended to be used on humans. Despite this, the study suggests that human cloning could be a possibility in the near future.
Cloning is very controversial. Some say that cloning non-human primates as test subjects is unethical but others argue that primate models are a necessity in the study, and perhaps cure, of human diseases.
There are many different views on the matter: some say that the whole idea is immoral, others say it is an amazing accomplishment to have cloned the two monkeys. Some also say that humans might need to be cloned in the future, whereas others say that there is no need for humans to be cloned – it is against nature, and could lead to a lot of difficult ethical issues. Hopefully, though, humans will not have to rely on clones to survive.
By: Martha