CloningIn recent years the topic of cloning has been very much at the center of attention. It is a very controversial issue, with many conflicting points of view. While some find it acceptable, others oppose it for religious reasons. A major concern is the potential for abuse of this new technology. One of the big questions is "Where will we stop?" We could start by simply experimenting and studying, but then? Produce human bodies for spare parts? No one can be sure where it will stop. The Supreme Court says everyone has the right to make their own reproductive decisions without government interference, but now proposes a ban on human cloning. These bans prevent the very research needed to make cloning safe (Eibert). It therefore appears that the government is not giving human cloning a chance. There are many advantages to cloning in the fields of fertility, organ transplants and fighting disease. Although the benefits are many, the possible effects and moral considerations are too great for us to continue experimenting. BenefitsOne of the major benefits of cloning technology is the improvement in the field of fertility. IVF has a success rate of only about 10%. To improve effectiveness, doctors could clone embryos and the success rate could increase dramatically (Masci 413). Another advantage in the field of fertility is that parents unable to conceive naturally, even in vitro, or people too old to conceive, could still have a genetically related child (Masci 413-414). With cloning, the egg and sperm would not be necessary for reproduction, because any cell in the body would function (Eibert). The resulting offspring would actually be a replica of a parent (Masci 413-414). Other advantages deriving from the use of cloning concern the fight against diseases. When genes are not in use, they become dormant. For cloning to occur, all genes must be active. Finding out how genes are turned on and off could lead to the treatment of different cancers (Masci 414). Cloning could also revolutionize the field of organ transplants. Organs and bone marrow could be cloned and used for transplants. Thousands of people die waiting for a transplant, so this could save many lives. Furthermore, the organs used in the transplant could come from the same patient, reducing the risk of rejection by the body (Masci 414). To treat heart attack victims, doctors could clone healthy heart cells and inject them into damaged areas of the heart (Masci 415).