Skip to content

featuring historical research, writing, and media at st. mary's university

  • World History

    World History

    Menu
    • World History
    • Pre-Classical History (to 600 BCE)
    • Classical History (600 BCE-600 CE)
    • Post-Classical History (600 CE-1492 CE)
    • Early Modern History (1492-1789)
    • Modern History (1789-1914)
    • Global History (1900-present)

    From the Ancient World

    The Battle of Zama: Rome's Vengeance

    Posted by Davis Nickle12/01/2020

    From the Modern World

    The Holy See Takes On The Fight Against Climate Change

    Posted by Victor Rodriguez11/30/2020

    Regional Histories

    Menu
    • African and African American Studies
    • Latin American Studies
  • US History

    Early America

    Menu
    • US-Three Worlds Meet (to 1620)
    • US-Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)
    • US-Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
    • US-Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
    • US-Civil War & Reconstruction (1850-1877)

    Breaking Silence or Just Speaking Louder?: The Story of Larry Nassar and his 499 Victims

    Posted by Paola Arellano04/07/2019

    The Horse That Changed History: Secretariat’s Record-Breaking Triple Crown Victory

    Posted by Mason Kheiv04/02/2019

    Calculating the Death of Learning

    Posted by Sabrina Doyon11/08/2019

    The Complicated Process of Seeking Asylum in the United States

    Posted by Emilia Caballero Carmona10/29/2020

    Creating a Monster: Richard Ramirez, The Night Stalker

    Posted by Claudia Sanchez05/08/2019

    A Hero’s Burden: COVID-19, Mental Health, and the life of Dr. Lorna Breen

    Posted by Jarred Deptawa11/09/2020

    The Enola Gay Dropping A Big ol' A-Bomb: The Start of the Nuclear Age

    Posted by Destiny Lucero05/06/2020

    The Pacification of My Lai

    Posted by Sterling Henarie11/28/2020

    The Warren Commission Report: Conspiracy Theories Addressed on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

    Posted by Samuel Vega04/11/2020

    Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo and His Satanic Cult

    Posted by Briana Montes11/12/2019

    Hope and Grief: Robert Kennedy's Speech on the night of Dr. King's Assassination

    Posted by Matthew Swaykus05/12/2019

    Bad Boys vs. Archangels - Adapting and Overcoming the 'Jordan Rules'

    Posted by Stephen Talik04/17/2020

    Elvis: The Rise of the Rock and Roll King

    Posted by Alexander Avina12/06/2019

    The Voice that Outshined the Rest: The success of Chris Cornell

    Posted by Christian Lopez11/24/2020

    Show Me Money: How Gold Altered a Landscape in the Distant West and Thrived during the COVID-19 Pandemic

    Posted by Emily Bartlett11/13/2020

    Bonnie and Clyde's Darkest Hour

    Posted by Sebastian Portilla11/15/2019

    Tesla and the War of the Currents

    Posted by S. Michael Sleeter04/13/2019

    A Forgotten Finals: Bill Russell, and the 1966 NBA Finals

    Posted by Kaleb Werku11/12/2019

    Plague! Plague! Plague!

    Posted by Jacqueline Mendez12/10/2019

    Billie Jean King: Ruler of the Court

    Posted by Charli Delmonico12/09/2019

    ¿Importa el idioma que hablas?

    Posted by Kimberly Parker11/01/2020

    San Antonio Royalty: The Reign of the Chili Queen

    Posted by Sara Ramirez04/07/2019

    Big Nosed Kate - An Outlaw's Nightmare?

    Posted by Cameron Lopez04/04/2019

    Rocket Falcon 1: The Art of Failure

    Posted by Bruno Lezama10/03/2019

    On the Road Again: Charlotte Kahl's Journey Along the Old Spanish Trail

    Posted by Gabriel Cohen05/10/2019

    A Woman's Shot at Making History: The First Female CEO of Mylan and the EpiPen

    Posted by Courtney Pena11/15/2019

    Fortnite and Video Game Violence

    Posted by Elizabeth Maguire12/08/2019

    “Find a miracle, hold onto it, and keep going.” The Story of Elizabeth Smart

    Posted by Mia Hernandez11/07/2020

    Rodney Reed :Trapped In the Shadows of Jim Crow

    Posted by Christopher McClinton04/28/2020

    Quiet Man On the Run: The Story of Frank Abagnale, World-Renound Con-Artist

    Posted by Lilia Seijas11/01/2019

    Contemporary America

    Menu
    • US-Industrial United States (1870-1900)
    • US-Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
    • US-Great Depression & WWII (1929-1945)
    • US-Postwar United States (1945-early 1970s)
    • US-Contemporary United States (1968-present)
  • Themes

    SPICE Categories

    Specialty Categories

    Special Themes

    Menu
    • Social History
    • Political History
    • Environmental History
    • Cultural History
    • Economic History
    Menu
    • Art History
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Gender Studies
    • Human Rights
    • Public Health and Medicine
    • International Relations
    • Linguistics
    Menu
    • Military History
    • Music
    • People
    • Psychology
    • Religion
    • Science & Technology
    • Sports
    Menu
    • Catholic Heritage
    • The Year 1968
    • COVID-19
    • Social Justice
    • Spanish Language
  • Showcase

    Showcase Editions

    • Vol 1 – 2016
      • Vol 1 No 1 Aug-Sep 2016
      • Vol 1 No 2 Oct-Nov 2016
    • Vol 2 – 2017
      • Vol 2 No 1 Jan-Feb 2017
      • Vol 2 No 2 Mar-Apr 2017
      • Vol 2 No 3 Aug-Sep 2017
      • Vol 2 No 4 Oct-Nov 2017
    • Vol 3 – 2018
      • Vol 3 No 1 Jan-Feb 2018
      • Vol 3 No 2 Mar-Apr 2018
      • Vol 3 No 3 Aug-Sep 2018
      • Vol 3 No 4 Oct-Nov 2018
    • Vol 4 – 2019
      • Vol 4 No 1 Jan-Feb 2019
      • Vol 4 No 2 Mar-Apr 2019
      • Vol 4 No 3 Aug-Sep 2019
      • Vol 4 No 4 Oct-Nov 2019
    • Vol 5 – 2020
      • Vol 5 No 1 Jan-Feb 2020
      • Vol 5 No 2 Mar-Apr 2020
      • Vol 5 No 3 Aug-Sep 2020
    Menu
    • Vol 1 – 2016
      • Vol 1 No 1 Aug-Sep 2016
      • Vol 1 No 2 Oct-Nov 2016
    • Vol 2 – 2017
      • Vol 2 No 1 Jan-Feb 2017
      • Vol 2 No 2 Mar-Apr 2017
      • Vol 2 No 3 Aug-Sep 2017
      • Vol 2 No 4 Oct-Nov 2017
    • Vol 3 – 2018
      • Vol 3 No 1 Jan-Feb 2018
      • Vol 3 No 2 Mar-Apr 2018
      • Vol 3 No 3 Aug-Sep 2018
      • Vol 3 No 4 Oct-Nov 2018
    • Vol 4 – 2019
      • Vol 4 No 1 Jan-Feb 2019
      • Vol 4 No 2 Mar-Apr 2019
      • Vol 4 No 3 Aug-Sep 2019
      • Vol 4 No 4 Oct-Nov 2019
    • Vol 5 – 2020
      • Vol 5 No 1 Jan-Feb 2020
      • Vol 5 No 2 Mar-Apr 2020
      • Vol 5 No 3 Aug-Sep 2020
  • About

    Course Readings

    Article Indexes

    About Us

    Menu
    • Course Readings – SC 3300 – Nash
    • Course Readings – SMC 1301 – Wieck
    • Course Readings – PO 4334 – Dr Celine
    • Course Readings _ PO 3365 – Dr Celine
    Menu
    • Course Readings – HS 2321 – Whitener
    • Course Readings – HS 2322 – Whitener
    • Course Readings – SMC 1301 – Whitener
    Menu
    • Our Article/Author Index
    • Award Winning Articles
    Menu
    • Our StMU History Media Project
    • Our Faculty Consultants
    • Our Writers
    • Contact Us
  • Cultural History, Environmental History, Explanatory Article, Global History (1900-present), Journalistic Explanatory, Science & Technology, World History
  • November 1, 2018

Seeing Double: Cloning Dolly the Sheep

In 1996, Dolly the Sheep became the first mammal ever to be cloned from a cell taken from an adult animal. │ Courtesy of Flickr
In 1996, Dolly the Sheep became the first mammal ever to be cloned from a cell taken from an adult animal. │ Courtesy of Flickr
Pamela Callahan

Pamela Callahan

Dolly is no doubt one of the most well-known sheep in the entire world. She has flipped the whole science world on its head and made scientists question the boundaries that they had never dared to try and pass. Her birth brought about a new era in the world of science, and with it many challenges and further discoveries. In the early 1900s, the idea of cloning was barely even a thought. Scientists had experimented with the cloning of younger animals, where they had experienced limited success, but they had set a new goal in which to learn how to clone an adult mammal. This task was seen as somewhat fantastical and hopelessly out of reach with the technologies of the time, if even possible at all. Several attempts had been made, and small discoveries slowly began to trickle into the scientific world, but it wasn’t until 1935 that one man’s crazy ideas got some serious recognition.

Hans Spemann, a German experimental embryologist, worked for years to develop what he came to coin “The Organizer Effect.” In his many experiments with the epidermis, eyeballs, and embryos of amphibians, he came to discover that a cell extracted from one animal and injected into the cell of another can influence the way that the recipient animal develops. Spemann tested his theory on a simple tadpole, and his result was, of course, another tadpole, but with an astounding two heads! He described this concept of one cell influencing the growth of another as induction. Spemann’s theory of induction was groundbreaking and led scientists to ponder whether or not extracting the nucleus from the cells would have the same result. This nuclear transfer is used in the current cloning process, and without Spemann’s foundational ideas, it would have been difficult for scientists to progress as quickly as they have been. The cell in which the new cell is introduced is what is know as “the organizer” because it is able to restructure the information that was already in the cell in the first place. After long hours of extensive research in Germany, and the onlooking pressure from fellow scientists, Spemann’s work finally got the attention it deserved. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1935 for his discoveries, and his work became very influential in his field of study.1 

For a little over fifty years, the cloning scene laid low. There were no more major advancements like those of Spemann in the early 1900s. That is, until biologist Keith Campbell and embryologist Ian Wilmut came along. In 1996, the two scientists began their work at the Roslin Institute in Scotland, where they based their research and lab procedures on the Nobel Prize winning ideas of Hans Spemann, and his induction and cloning mammal research.2

Diagram of the cloning process of Dolly │ Courtesy of Wikipedia

As cloning research began to increase, many scientists, and others, began raising ethical concerns about where this research was heading. Scientists began to predict where the industry could go in the future and the effect that it could have not only on animals, but on humans as well. While cloning did seem promising at its early stages, scientists could not help but think of human cloning in the future and the major ethical concerns that would come along with it. The public’s ideas generally weren’t derived from a more positive view. In their minds, they saw “Designer Babies,” and imagined how the wealthy would soon be able to manipulate the gene structure of an embryo to produce a smarter, better-looking, more-talented child. As a result, the existing gap between the rich and the poor would become even more dramatic.3 Not only that, but it wasn’t long ago that the public witnessed the destructive tests and extensive research that went into cloning animals along with the countless failed attempts that resulted in mutations or death of the offspring. In the cloning of humans, scientists expected to see comparable results of mutation and death.4

Major figures in the 2000s voiced concerns on both sides of the cloning debate. Former First Lady, Nancy Reagan, was among the smaller group that was able to see the potential benefits that cloning offered the world, specifically in that cloning could help in the curing of currently terminal diseases. She said, “Science has presented us with a hope called stem cell research, which may provide our scientists with many answers that for so long have been beyond our grasp. I just don’t see how we can turn our backs on this.”5 On the other hand, President George W. Bush voiced the opposing view that had concerns about cloning and its uses. He addressed the issue saying, “Make no mistake, that a cluster of cells is the same way you and I… started our lives. One goes with a heavy heart if we use these [embryonic cells]… because we are dealing with the seeds of the next generation…I believe all human cloning is wrong, and both forms of cloning ought to be banned.”6 President Bush was concerned about the manipulation of the genetic code and the way that it could change the coming generation. The bold statements and opinions from political figures such as these had a major impact on the views of the general public, but the overwhelming disapproval of cloning made it even more difficult for scientists to develop an effective process. 

While this broad disapproval of cloning clouded the efforts of scientists interested in researching cloning, Campbell and Wilmut continued their research in order to achieve their goal of cloning an adult animal. They employed a newly developed process called Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), in which they extracted the nucleus of a single somatic cell, or an adult cell of an animal, from the animal they want to clone, and then inject it into the unfertilized egg of another cell with the nucleus removed. In 1997, the two scientists began the SCNT process with a cell from an adult female sheep. After a few days, they implanted the cell into another female sheep, hoping that the cell would be accepted in her system and that a birth from it would be successful. Without knowing whether or not they would be successful, and with 276 failures behind them, the chances looked slim, but they decided to give it a try and hope for the best.7

Coco, a cloned dog in Korea has no father but three mothers, and has raised lots of controversy and concerns among the community │ Courtesy of Flickr

As can be expected, the world’s view of cloning was not more accepting as the experimentation continued. Many felt that something had to be done to stop these experiments from becoming accepted. One of the newest developments in the cloning world was chimeras, or organisms consisting of more than one set of genes. Chimeras are animals that have been experimented on and now contain some human DNA in their systems. One of the main reasons for this process is to test whether or not human diseases can be effectively cured or improved with experimental treatment options before they are released to the public for use. In this way, scientists are creating animals and changing them to have more human characteristics. A past member of the President’s Council on Bioethics, Alfonso Gomez-Lobo, commented on chimeras saying that they, “violate the sanctity of human life by mixing humans with animals,” and that, “What is essentially human is really debased.”8

In 2009, San Brownback and Mary Landrieu, two senators, attempted to introduce a law that would completely stop the chimera testing processes all together. The supporting views of the public against chimeras gave the two a strong backing, and they hoped to bring about a drastic change. To stop what they deemed an immoral practice, they decided to create and propose a law to Congress that would prohibit all further testing similar to those of the chimeras. Although they had support, their law was never passed, but they are hopeful that it will be reconsidered at some point in the future.9

With the continuing turmoil, Wilmut and Campbell waited anxiously to see if their SCNT test on the female sheep would turn out to be a success. Everything seemed to be against them, but luckily enough, science was on their side. On July 5, 1996, their troubles were turned into triumph with the birth of a new baby sheep. Named after famous country singer Dolly Parton, Dolly the Sheep became the first mammal ever to be cloned from the cell of an adult animal.10 While the cloning was effective, the scientists were hesitant to share their results, in fear that Dolly’s life would be cut short due to some unforeseen problem in her production. Because of this, they waited almost an entire year, until, February 22, 1997, to announce the results of their tests. After the announcement, the news spread quickly. Dolly was featured in the Times and Science magazines, and she earned a sort of recognition that made her known all around the world.11

Cloning since Dolly has continued to improve as seen in this case of cloned claves, Dot and Ditto │ Courtesy of sciencedaily.com

While many people emphasize the negative results of cloning, there are potential benefits as well. Scientists have suggested, for example, that the organs of pigs are compatible to those of human beings. This means that their organs could be harvested for therapeutic use in humans.12 Another area in which scientists have continued their research is in that of gene therapy, in which they use stem cells to control diseases like Parkinson’s and diabetes. While cloning doesn’t cure the disease, it can help to control it in both current and future generations.13 Along with the possibility of saving people’s lives, cloning can also help to save an entire species of animals. By taking the genes and DNA from an endangered species, scientists can have the species live on forever. Also, being that the cloning process doesn’t require a male and a female, it is more reliable in the case that one of the two dies out.14 In light of all of this research, most people see only a fine line between the scientific and religious obligations that come along with the cloning process. While cloning may be able to help cure diseases and save lives, it can also be manipulated and result in the destruction of life through the many experimental tests that are required for success.

Incredibly, Dolly the Sheep lived to be almost six and a half years with a reputation like no other. During this time, she broke the boundaries of what scientists had known and had come to expect, and she set the limit high for all those scientists to follow in the future. As Dolly became older, so did her frame and her health and she began to deteriorate. She developed arthritis and a form of lung cancer, and, in the end, she had to be put down. Even though she’s gone now, Dolly will continue to be remembered and her impact will always be felt forever around the world.

  1. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2004, “Hans Spemann.” ↵
  2. Anna Marie Eleanor Ross, Scientific Thought: In Context (Detroit: Gale, 2009), 527. ↵
  3. Tina Kafka, Cloning (Detroit: Lucent Books, 2008), 78. ↵
  4. Barbara Wexler, Genetics and Genetic Engineering (Detroit: Gale, 2014), 135. ↵
  5. Carla Mooney, Bioethics (Detroit: Lucent Books, 2009), 81. ↵
  6. Carla Mooney, Bioethics (Detroit: Lucent Books, 2009), 88; Melissa Abramovitz, Stem Cells (Detroit: Lucent Books, 2012), 75. ↵
  7. Biotechnology: Changing Life Through Science, 2007, s.v. “Animal Cloning.” ↵
  8. Melissa Abramovitz, Stem Cells (Detroit: Lucent Books, 2012), 72-73, 75. ↵
  9. Melissa Abramovitz, Stem Cells (Detroit: Lucent Books, 2012), 76. ↵
  10. Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics, 2005, s.v. “Human Cloning,” by Glenn McGee. ↵
  11. Encyclopedia of Science and Technology Communication, 2010, s.v. “Cloning,” by Rödder, Simone. ↵
  12. Richard Gray, Roger Dobson, and Kenneth Travis LaPensee, Biotechnology: In Context (Detroit: Gale, 2012), 247. ↵
  13. Kate Sampsell, History Behind the Headlines: The Origins of Conflicts Worldwide (Detroit: Gale, 2003), 78. ↵
  14. Environmental Encyclopedia, 2011, s.v. “Cloning,” by Ken R. Wells. ↵

Tags from the story

  • Cloning, Dolly the Sheep, Hans Spemann, Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell

Share this post

Share on facebook
Share on google
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on pinterest
Share on print
Share on email
Pamela Callahan

Pamela Callahan

Author Portfolio Page

Dorothea Lange: Pictures Are Worth A Thousand Words

What can a single image possibly say about our complex world? Of course, one picture

Read More »

This Post Has 76 Comments

  1. Kimberly Parker
    Kimberly Parker 31 Oct 2019 Reply

    This article was very intriguing, to say the least. I mean the cloning of anything, just thinking about it, seems unnatural, and reading this article to find out that they were actually able to clone something, a sheep at that, just leaves me speechless. This article did a really good job though of showing both sides of the argument that is cloning. It gives more than just one point of view, which allows the reader to be able to come to their own conclusions, instead of just having to go off only one point of view.

  2. Avatar
    Michael Lazcano 17 Oct 2019 Reply

    The implications of cloning within medicine is yet to be determined, but the cloning of whole organisms is baffling to say the least. While some people don’t agree with the experiment itself due to the ethical dilemmas it poses, I think this is one of the most important breakthroughs in modern science. If we can clone a sheep it really opens the door to even larger organisms in the future, and possibly humans. Something that seemed like science fiction could become reality in maybe five to ten years. While the ramifications of cloning isn’t exactly clear, it’s only a matter of time til it becomes more prevalent.

  3. Avatar
    Bruno Lezama 12 Oct 2019 Reply

    I have heard of this experiment before when I was in High School; however, this is the first time I have read about the arguments that cloning has. On one hand, this experiment with the sheep helped a lot to the medicine to understand more how we can manipulate DNA in order to improve the quality of our life. On the other hand, the cloning of this sheep had some ethical problems that are controversial. Great Article!

  4. Avatar
    Jake Mares 29 Sep 2019 Reply

    Interesting article! Thinking ahead, as stated, the use of cloning organs for transplants could make way for huge progress int hat department. While some see it as unnatural, the usefulness of these methods cannot be denied. Personally, I think Dolly is just the beginning as I believe cloning will keep becoming more prevalent with the times to come.

  5. Avatar
    Aaron Peters 25 Sep 2019 Reply

    I’m glad I got more of the story about Dolly the Sheep. I knew that she was a sheep who was cloned, but now I know the greater story behind what lead up to it. I honestly did find it a little disturbing, I think Brownback had the right idea in planning to outlaw chimeras. It seems like a slippery slope to playing god with animals, and even humans.

  6. Isabella Torres
    Isabella Torres 24 Sep 2019 Reply

    I have heard of this experiment before, but this is the first time I have read into cloning and really seen both sides of the argument. I can see how the process of cloning could be beneficial to humans in the future, such as the fact that pig organs are compatible with human organs. However, ethically, I think that cloning would get out of control very easily when it comes to physical appearance and the idea of “designer babies”. Although cloning most likely would not be used for this reason at first, it is bound to happen at some point. It is amazing that technology has come this far, but I’m not sure how the implementation of it would affect future generations.

  7. Avatar
    Alin Bocardo Felix 20 Sep 2019 Reply

    Dolly the Sheep is something very common among conspiracy theories and the young science community, or so I thought, but it really was a breakthrough for the science that we know now. The article is very informative in its facts and effectively includes both perspectives of the public at that time; which can be divided into the science and religious community. The supporters made the claims of the future benefits and disease control, whereas the religious community made the assumptions of the dangers of the process and possible ways it could affect future generations. Cloning and ‘Designer Babies’ and other forms of science experiments are a big taboo in society because it is believed to mess with the norm of it all, but it’s the only way we have improved and sometimes mistakes have to be done in order to learn.

  8. Avatar
    Azucena Cuevas 15 Sep 2019 Reply

    How would a sheep react if it found out it was a duplicate of another sheep? Undoubtedly, no human would want to be a mere copy of someone else. People like to believe they are original and unique. It’s the thrill of life and what separates people from another. Also on a biological note, it is better for the environment to have a diverse pool of genes, not copies of the same organism mating around like bacteria.

  9. Avatar
    Jose Maria Llano Aranalde 13 Sep 2019 Reply

    I actually didn’t know about this experiment with the sheep. However I did know some what about the cloning and how scientist were starting to manipulate DNA to get what they wanted. I find it really interesting the things that people could do with this technology. I personally think that this shouldn’t be a tool that everyone can use unless it is for an illness or to save species. I feel like if this was given out to the public it would do more bad than good.

  10. Avatar
    Emmanuel Diaz 8 Sep 2019 Reply

    I knew about the experiment and knew it was on a sheep but that was all on my knowledge about it. Science was never my strong subjects but it does interest me on a certain level. It’s amazing that humans have discovered how to control DNA and be able to replicate it exactly by the hand of man. Judging from what Mrs. Reagan said it is true that the division will split as those with more money will be more of likely to be in contact with the technology and use it more than that of the poor but i also agree that we can save certain species as well and use it for more good than bad. the experiment overall is just amazing

Comments navigation

Previous commentPrevious
NextNext comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

StMU History Media

A Student Organization of St. Mary's University of San Antonio Texas

Sponsors

  • College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, St. Mary's University
  • Department of History, St. Mary's University
  • Department of Political Science, St. Mary's University
  • Center for Catholic Studies, St. Mary's University

Support Services

  • The Learning Assistance Center, St. Mary's University
  • Louis J. Blume Library Services, St. Mary's University
  • STRIVE Career Center, St. Mary's University
  • Academic Technology Services, St. Mary's University

About

  • About Us
  • Our Authors
  • Our Archive
  • Contacts

© All rights reserved

Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest