How does reproductive cloning effect humans?
There is no guarantee that the first cloned humans will be normal. The fetus might suffer from some disorder that is not detectable by ultrasound. They may be born disabled. Disorders may materialize later in life. Such problems have been seen in other cloned mammals. There is no reason to assume that they will not happen in humans. Cells seem to have a defined life span built into them. “Dolly” was created from a cell that was about six years old; this is middle age for a ewe. There were some indications that Dolly’s cells were also middle-aged. She was believed to be, in essence, about six years old when she was born. She was expected to live only for five years, which is shorter than the normal life span of 11 years. If this is also true of humans, then cloned people would have a reduced life expectancy. The cloning technique could take many years off their life. [These fears proved to be unfounded. “Dolly” has grown into a comfortable middle age with signs of normal aging for her a
