It has been recently announced that scientists have cloned human embryos for the first time. While this may seem to be a great breakthrough in science, this also constitutes a dire dilemma of ethics and morals. Cloning could be used in a wide variety of capacities such as genetic engineering of embryos, creating human/animal hybrids, and creating a slave race of fetuses in artificial wombs to serve as organ donors.

Cloning describes the processes used to create an exact genetic replica of another cell, tissue or organism. The copied material, which has the same genetic makeup as the original, is referred to as a clone. The most famous clone was a Scottish sheep named Dolly.

If this cloned embryo is used for obtaining stem cells or used experimentally, it is referred to as therapeutic cloning. If the embryo were to be implanted into a woman's womb in order for it to gestate and be born, then this is referred to as reproductive cloning. These uses are important to note as they describe the use of a cloned embryo, not the act of cloning itself. There may be some scientific merit in human cloning, but depending on its use, it may end up being very dubious. This is particularly true should human cloning result in the creation of infants used for organ harvesting or other questionable practices.