Friday, April 26, 2019

cloning long-dead species

An article published in NewScientist magazine in 2008 illustrates the findings of a study that successfully cloned dead mice. The research team utilized the nucleus from cells and were injected into eggs that'd had the nucleus removed. The fact that the cells utilized were from tissue that had been frozen for over 15 years, woke up the idea that extinct species frozen in permafrost can be "resurrected".

In 2009 a publication in the NatGeo site, pointed the findings of a process where the pyrenean ibex was the first extincted animal to be brought back from extinction, though it died two days after being born, (dead of organisms is common in cloning experiments). This news produced mixed feelings, since it was the first animal to survive de-extinction passed birth but also the first one to be extincted two times.
Like most genetic topics, there is controversy surrounding this one. Opposers say that people should try to find ways of preserving existing species, instead of trying to bring back extincted ones. The truth is, that up to 0.1% of the total species go extinct each year, mostly due to humans. Every species an important part of the ecosystem, and bringing them back will cause mostly a positive impact in the ecosystem they left behind; but it is also true that we have try harder at protecting the species that remain alive.

3 comments:

  1. It is sad that so many species are becoming extinct and it is our fault mainly. I do believe in both opinions. I do think that it is a good idea to bring back extinct species as long as this is not causing any harm to any other animals. In the future if this ever worked, we still need to be aware of what are we doing to our planet, that is causing so many species to die and try our best to save them.

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  2. This is a very controversial topic on which I know exactly on what side of the argument I stay on. There are few very important factors to be considered here. One is that cloning anything above a cell raises serious ethical questions, and until they are logically answered and cloning is " justified" cloning is unethical or simply not right. The other factor is that different animal species lived in different times and environment, so if we start with one who is to say where we are going to stop cloning, and how damaging could the effects of it be on bit the animals like the pyrenean ibex, the ecosystem and us.Last but not least, there are so many diseases we have no cure for maybe we should direct our efforts towards finding cure for them and preserving the species we have instead of "resurrecting " them later.
    Great topic!

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  3. While extinction has been a natural ecological process throughout the history of life on Earth, humans in the last millennia or two have highly contributed to the downfall of quite a few species. I think cloning species who have experienced extinction due to human domination is fairly justified, provided scientists confirm it won't mess with the current balance of the ecosystem too greatly.

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