Friday, November 23, 2012

Dolly, the cloned sheep

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/12/science/keith-campbell-cloner-of-dolly-the-sheep-dies-at-58.html?ref=biologyandbiochemistry
Keith Campbell, cell biologist, dies at the age of 58 in Derbyshire, a region of England.

Campbell was one of the most famous cell biologists because of his sheep, his cloned sheep that he created. This sheep became one of the most popular animals of all time because of the way it came to be. This idea of cloning brought upon two sides; the side for it which said this was something before deemed impossible and the scientists are overjoyed to see new work, and the other side which worried that next would be people being cloned. Campbell claimed that the greatest value of cloning lay in the potential to engineer animals to produce medications, and even transplantable organs, for use by human beings.
 
This is the picture of the famous cloned sheep, Dolly, who also normally reproduced 6 lambs. It took 277 attempts to create Dolly as the process was much moer vigorous and complex then a simple cutting as that of a plant. http://www.animalresearch.info/en/medical-advances/151/cloning-dolly-the-sheep/. In this website you can find how Dolly was cloned, what happened to her throughout her life, and the reason to clone sheep and other animals.
My personal opinion on this matter is a slight mix of both views. I feel as though it can and will have its benefits in the future but the fear of being able to clone humans is a very scary thought and needs to be taken into consideration before the idea of cloning begins to run rampant.
 
 

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