science might be to expand human knowledge and capacity to create change | Homework Help

science might be to expand human knowledge and capacity to create change

The goals of science might be to expand human knowledge and capacity to create change, but it is always important to keep in mind that science does not exist in a vacuum. On the contrary, science is an integral part of social and cultural frameworks that have their own goals. The push and pull of society’s complex interests sometimes transform scientific discoveries into significant controversies.
One such discovery is the process of cloning. Cloning, the act of creating an exact genetic copy of an organism, is something that happens naturally in some kinds of cells. It is also something that scientists have been trying to do on a much larger scale since the discovery of DNA.
Do some background reading about cloning using the following resources:
National Human Genome Research Institute Fact Sheet on Cloning:

http://www.genome.gov/25020028

The National Institutes of Health Office of Science Education, Research in the News:

Explore the process of cloning animals here: http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/biot09_int_cloning/
Although the cloning of entire animals represented a significant milestone, cloning at the cellular or gene level was achieved even earlier, and continues to be an application in use today. Learn about how genes are cloned here:

http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/biot09_int_geneclone/

Come to Seminar prepared to discuss:
1. What are some past, present, and future applications for cloning?
2. Can you envision a time in your life where cloning technologies may be useful to you, or do you benefit from them already?
3. What are some of the challenges associated with the cloning process?
4. What policies do you feel should be in place to regulate cloning? Consider the following:
a. What creatures can be allowed to be cloned?
b. Should the purpose of the clone be considered?
c. Who should have the ability to produce clones and/or research the process further?
d. Should humans be cloned?
e. Should these regulations be the same regardless of the cloning process (at the gene or cellular level as well as an entire organism)?