Quote:
Originally posted by Paul Victorey
So, is research on 6-cell embryos different, morally, from taking 6 cells from an adult and experimenting with them?
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I believe it does:
Cells taken from you via biopsy have no chance into developing into a human being as they are already differentiated and can only reproduce into like cells (striated muscle cells become striated muscle cells only etc, organs are composed of many different types of cells, not just "heart cells"), whereas a 6 cell embryo, will, given time, develop into a human being as the cells have not reached the point of differentiation.
its been a real long time since i took cellular biology so i can't remember when differentiation takes place in embryonic development.
What needs to occur in the cloning technology area is to "un-differentiate" cells and re-direct their development into needed tissue type/organ, that would bypass most of the moral issues (mine included) to the concept of cloning.