Cloning of Frogs, Mice, and Other Animals

Description

Cloning of Frogs, Mice, and Other Animals was first published as Cloning: A Biologist Reports in 1979 and was reissued under the present title in 1985. When cell biologist Robert McKinnell first wrote his layman's guide to cloning in 1979, no creature higher than a frog had been successfully cloned. In the years since then, scientific advances have made mammalian clones a reality -- cloned mice have been reported from laboratories using two different techniques. In this revised edition of Cloning: A Biologist Reports, McKinnell explains the process of mammalian cloning and discusses its importance as a research tool. The creation of genetically identical animals is enormously helpful in learning about medical problems such as cancer and aging, and in improving breeds of cattle and other domesticated animals. The reality of cloned mammals raises anew the issue of human cloning. McKinnell outlines the procedure as it would apply to humans and explores the ethical considerations involved. He argues that, although the creation of human clones may be technically possible, it is economically and socially impractical, and poses little threat to the world. McKinnell's aim in this book, as it was in the first edition, is to provide a clear explanation of the cloning procedure with the hope that accurate information will dispel the fear and mystery that surround it.