Reproductive and Therapeutic Cloning - Essay Example

Reproductive cloning involves the use of stem cells for the purpose of creating an organism that is identical to the parent organism (Cibelli et al 2013). The procedure involves the use of a somatic nuclear cell, which is retrieved from a donor egg. The material is used to create a genetically identical animal, plant, or human. In animal cloning, the manipulated cell is returned to the uterine environment for development. One of the most famous examples of this type of cloning is the creation of Dolly the sheep in 1997(Cibelli et al 2013).

This type of cloning may be performed on plants, animals, or human beings. Therapeutic cloning involves the harvesting of stem cells from embryos for the purpose of regenerating tissue, organ, or cell. This type of cloning is used in the medical field for the production of tissue, muscle, and cells. Unlike reproductive cloning, therapeutic cloning is widely practiced in the medical field. Also, the embryo used to retrieve the nucleus, in therapeutic cloning, dies after removal.There are a plethora of benefits attributed to artificial cloning.

In the agricultural sector, cloning can be used to create animals and plants that produce high yields. In terms of wildlife, artificial cloning will enable us to revive endangered species or even extinct species, for example, dinosaurs. In medicine, cloning facilitates drug production and treatment.