新视野大学英语读写教程第五册:bi-unit01-a-1
1. cloning
Cloning in the most basic sense is the production of an organism that is identical to another. In the cloning process, a scientist takes the genetic information of an organism and inserts it into an unfertilized egg cell from a member of the same species. The egg then begins to develop, functioning under the direction of its newly acquired genetic code, and eventually, a genetically identical organism is created.
Beyond the scientific benefits of cloning there are the moral and ethical questions that have developed with the realization of the power cloning will bestow upon mankind. Those against cloning believe that it interferes with the natural process of reproduction, and fear the possible societal abuses of the technology. For those supporting it, cloning offers a chance to gain insight into heredity, cell development, and genetic traits that far outweighs any negative social consequences. More detailed information can be found at http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloning, http://www.vuhs.org/apbio/clone/ and http://home.hawaii.rr.com/johns/. Further online resources about cloning can be found in the Background Information section of Unit 8 Book 3.
