Should we bank the genes of extraordinary people for cloning?

To put it lightly, human cloning is controversial. Major religions, global organizations and entire countries have banned its research, despite the various medical benefits human cloning offers. While some of their concerns are health-related, objections often come down to ethical or religious stances. For the purposes of this article, we'll put aside some of these larger ethical concerns and focus on the potential pros and cons of banking extraordinary genes for future cloning.

The main argument against the creation of such a bank can be summed up in one existential question: What makes me who I am? While genetics contributes a great deal to the answer, there's no getting past that we're all shaped by our experiences. It's the old nature vs. nurture debate. A clone might be born with all the genetic charms of a great scholar or athlete, but his or her subsequent upbringing, education, environment and relationships might steer the person any number of ways.

After all, is the biological child of two talented individuals guaranteed any of the drive or happiness possessed by his or her parents? Think of all the tiny decisions, influences and bits of pure chance that made you who you are today -- if any one of these had chanced to go a different route, how drastically different might your life be?

Another related argument against the cloning of extraordinary individuals is the extraordinary pressure it could put on the children to match up to their clone parents. Critics argue that this and other methods of genetic tinkering would create an atmosphere more akin to racehorse breeding than healthy parenting.

Some critics also fear that such genetic practices are nothing more than a return to the failed science of eugenics, the controlled breeding of human beings to improve the hereditary qualities. During the early 20th century, eugenics programs in the United States were responsible for the involuntary sterilization of thousands. Nazi Germany followed suit, instituting sterilization programs and eventually attempting to eliminate Jewish and non-Aryan populations. Might the banking of extraordinary genes for cloning purposes constitute the establishment of a new master race?

Another major issue to consider is that the human race is still evolving. While some biologists previously said we stopped evolving 50,000 years ago, researchers have identified more than 700 human genes that have evolved over the last 10,000 years. Researchers are just beginning to understand why and how we evolve, so why should we consider ourselves a finished product?

But the supporters of creating a top-shelf gene bank have a few points on their side as well, including the fact that these banks, in essence, already exist.

Banks of extraordinary genes already exist. We just call them sperm banks. As these establishments are in the business of providing quality genetic material to women who need help conceiving, they're discerning with their donors. Sperm banks generally screen donors on a basis of height, education, age and medical history.

In 1980, Robert Graham advanced the concept and founded the Repository for Germinal Choice -- or, as it came to be known, the "Nobel Prize sperm bank." So the idea of saving genetic material from exceptional human specimens is nothing new. We're already doing it. We're just combining the material with the mother's genes. Cloning removes the need for the mother's genes to enter into the picture at all, making her the child's physical mother, but not his or her genetic parent.

And if we did clone these banked individuals? The resulting children would indeed be products of their environment and upbringing, each with their own sense of individuality. They would also have distinct genetic advantages, even if they ultimately squandered them. Parents already can screen pregnancies for genetic disorders such as Down syndrome. Advocates could argue that giving parents the chance to choose the best genes possible for their children is a (giant) step in the same direction.

As for the argument that parents might place unfair expectations on a child cloned from an extraordinary person, supporters point out that such situations are common with children anyway. Many parents push their children to succeed or live vicariously through their achievements. Is a child more prone to mistreatment or love based on who his genetic parent or parents are?

The larger issue of human cloning itself will continue to be a topic of great ethical debate in the decades to come. But if the practice becomes legal and accepted, then the stockpiling of prime genetic material for future cloning will likely happen as an extension of current trends.

Explore the links on the next page to learn more about cloning and genetics.