12th February 2004, 1:38 PM
The defects resulted from the lack of the renewal of the DNA pretty much. The edges break down over time, and somehow during reproduction, the new creature's DNA is repaired from this damage. However, cloning doesn't do this repair operation. Specifically, most of the DNA is fine, but the very edges, that last bit after the last sets of chromosomes, wears out. This isn't the CAUSE of aging, it's A cause of aging. Fix that, no problems. Remember, it's all data in the end. Copying works fine if you do it right. Don't pay attention to stupid movies saying copies eventually get worse like with copy machines. Copy machines don't make perfect copies to begin with, so of course it'll be worse. Make a perfect copy though, like copying a file on a computer, and you can copy the copies indefinitly without any degredation EVER.
Further more, nice to see a news report not spread the whole mythos that stem cells actually NEED to come from infants. Further more, one wouldn't even want one from an infant unless it was an identical twin because the DNA would be different. Stem cell just means it hasn't decided what cell to become yet, not that it's DNA is a blank slate. It's STILL got to form itself into cells based totally on the DNA it has, so if you harvest someone's stem cells and turn them into a heart, and then place that heart in a totally DIFFERENT person, it'll still be rejected because it's still genetically different. Ya gotta get stem cells with the DNA of the person you actually want to transplant the organ into.
I say this because far too many people think the controversy is that people will be getting transplants directly from fetal tissue. That's not it (stupid south park, REALLY didn't help things with two whole episodes based on this misconception). Nope, the controversy is that scientists want to experiment using that tissue. It'll never actually be used to help anyone directly, just the information gathered from it.
Further more, nice to see a news report not spread the whole mythos that stem cells actually NEED to come from infants. Further more, one wouldn't even want one from an infant unless it was an identical twin because the DNA would be different. Stem cell just means it hasn't decided what cell to become yet, not that it's DNA is a blank slate. It's STILL got to form itself into cells based totally on the DNA it has, so if you harvest someone's stem cells and turn them into a heart, and then place that heart in a totally DIFFERENT person, it'll still be rejected because it's still genetically different. Ya gotta get stem cells with the DNA of the person you actually want to transplant the organ into.
I say this because far too many people think the controversy is that people will be getting transplants directly from fetal tissue. That's not it (stupid south park, REALLY didn't help things with two whole episodes based on this misconception). Nope, the controversy is that scientists want to experiment using that tissue. It'll never actually be used to help anyone directly, just the information gathered from it.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)