What exactly is a clone?

A clone is an exact copy of a molecule, cell, plant, animal or human being. Basically, clones are organisms that share shares genes. And we aren’t talking about the kind that are blue denim. Genes are part of a chromosome, which hang out in the nucleus of a living cell, that are responsible for stuff like eye color. Think of genes like filing cabinets for storing all kinds of info about plants and animals. Chromosomes hang out in pairs, which separate in creating new cells. These little dudes are very well organized.

How do those super smart scientist do it?

Scientists make clones by dividing cells into smaller cells, each of which has the same genes as the original. Clones will not act like the same person they were cloned from. Like twins, they will have different personalities because they will have had different life experiences. However, they are unlike twins, which also share identical genes, because they are not produced by natural reproduction. These are laboratory babies all the way. And babies cloned from adult cells. That’s right. So theoretically, a scientist could create your clone from the skin on your little finger. Major weirdness, huh?

Is cloning for real?

Cloning is definitely not just science fiction. The first mammal ever cloned was Dolly, a sheep, in 1996 from the cells of a six-year old sheep. Dolly is the carbon copy of her mom. Basically, she’s like her mother’s identical twin. Scientists took a skin cell from her mother. This cell divided and copied itself. One of these copied cells was joined to the egg of another sheep from which the chromosome had been removed. This created the egg with the chromosome of one sheep. Yup, that means only one parent. Talk about a single parent household!

Wait! Are their human clones?

So far, nobody has cloned a human being. At least, not that we know of, and in fact, human cloning has been banned in many countries. However, there are several scientists who have announced that they are working on cloning humans.

Can I clone my dog?

Commercial pet cloning could be available in the near future. In fact a few websites allow people to register their pets. They are:

http://www.savingsandclone.com
http://www.lazaron.com
http://www.cyagra.com

But you better start saving your pennies now. The estimated cost per pet: $20,000

History of Clones

1938 Hans Spemann tells the world that somebody it will be possible to make copies of animals. The word clone wasn’t invented yet but that’s what he meant. The scientists at the time said it couldn’t be done. What did they know? Not much apparently. Remember those words when you tell your mom that you will invent a combination instant candy maker and a shield of invisibility.

1958 F.C. Steward “clones” orange vegetables. Yup, carrots! At least they weren’t brussel sprouts. Does the world really need more of those?

1962 John Gurdon claims he has made copies of frogs. No, he doesn’t mean drawing a picture of Kermit. He means a real frog.

1963 J.B.S. Haldane invents the word clone. Cool word, right?

1979 Karl Illmensee boasts has cloned three mice; however, there is doubt.

1984 Steen Willadsen clones sheep from embryo cells. An embryo is the stage before birth after fertilization. A cell is the building block of an organism.

1985 Steen Willadsen clones cows from embryo cells.

1986 Neal First, Randal Prather and Willard Eyestone clone a cow from early embryo cells.

1995 Ian Willmut and Keith Campbell clone two sheep, Mega and Morag, from embryo cells.

1995 Ian Willmut and Keith Campbell created Dolly the sheep, the world’s first mammal cloned from adult cells.

1996 United States President Bill Clinton proposes a five-year ban on human cloning for research funded with government money.

1997 Richard Seed announces plans to clone a human.

1997 Keith Campbell creates Polly, a lamb cloned from skin cells and genetically altered to contain human cells.

1998 Ryuza Yanagimachi, Toni Perry and Teruhiko Wakayma clone 50 mice from adult cells.

2001 Severino Antinori, an Italian scientist, says he will clone a human soon.

2001 The Clonaid Company says it will clone a human using genetic material from a dead child.

2002 Scientists at Texas A&M University created a kitten clone named CC, which stands for carbon copy.


The Clone Zone Thoughts

Athenians, as in ancient Greeks, who lived in a city called Athens were according to legend the first clones. They were created without mothers. Do you think this would be possible?

Do you think Frankenstein was a clone? Why or why not?

In the film Invasion of the Body Snatchers, clones took over people’s lives. What would happen if a clone took over your life? What would you do?

In Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, an army of clones was used to attack. Do you think this was a wise move?

In the Jurassic Park movies, dinosaurs were cloned from cells preserved in ancient amber. Could this really happen? Nah. The genes have been too damaged, but who knows maybe someday. If dinosaurs could be cloned which dinosaur would you clone them? Are their dinosaurs you wouldn’t want to clone?

Ethical Issues with Clones

There are many ethical issues with cloning. For example, scientists could theoretically, clone mosquitoes that didn’t carry Malaria, and other deadly diseases. However, this would mean that the bugs would grew in numbers because the diseases would no longer limit their numbers. What could be the problem with greater mosquito population? What happened if these new cloned mosquitoes started carrying new diseases?
What if only the super rich could afford their own clones?
What if people cloned armies, such as in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones?
What if people raised clones for body parts?
What if dictators were cloned?
Do you think people who have died should be cloned? Why or why not?

Find Your Favorite Cloning Website

Time Magazine
(http://www.time.com/time/newsfiles/cloning/)

Why Files: Science Behind the News
(http://whyfiles.org/)

The Human Cloning Foundation
(http://www.humancloning.org/)


Clone Books

Clones and Clones: Facts and Fantasies About Human Cloning. Edited by Martha C. Nussbaum and Cass R. Sunstein. WW Norton & Co, NY 1998.

Beecroft Simon. Future Files Super Humans: A Beginner’s Guide to Bionics. Cooper Beech Books: Brookfield, Conn. 1998.


Clone Contest

What funning things could the alien clones from outer space do next?

Every six months, a winner will be picked. The winner will receive four autographed copies from the ALIEN CLONES FROM OUTER SPACE series

Question: Want to get the clones into some crazy adventures?

Okay, go for it. Write a two paragraph story describing what wacky thing Barton and Nancy get their clones to do next? For example, do they have them do a science project, or maybe take a school field trip? For you kids out there who would rather draw than write, you may draw me a comic strip. Draw three or four panels or clone adventure. You can include any of the characters. Please email me at: hbhomzie@aol.com