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Security issues that come with Cloning
by Dr. Nanochick at 1:17 am EST, Jan 2, 2003 |
This whole cloning subject has been rattling around in my brain for days now. Tonight I am thinking about security, and I thought I would post a question and see what you all think. So, assuming that this clone really is the first human clone, lets create a scenario in which cloning becomes really common in the future (for some creepy reason). You, wanting to keep up with the latest technology fad, save up the money, and clone yourself. Its no longer creepy to think about cloning, because everyone who is anyone has a clone. So you spend years raising your clone...and its just great...because its almost like you have a second chance at life...your clone gets to do things that you only wish you could have done with your life. But lets say, due to some environmental event (keeping in mind that this couldn't have been from genes, because you would *never* do something like this), your clone has a mean streak and decides to kill someone. Only your clone is kind of sloppy at the job, and he/she leaves fingerprints and DNA samples behind at the crime scene. Now, stepping out of the scenario, how would fingerprints and DNA be used in forensics in the future? Your clone will have the exact same fingerprints, the exact same DNA, and the same information will show up with a retinal scan. In a future in which cloning may exist, how does one retain their personal identity when they have a clone running around? How can you prevent identity theft? What do you all think? |
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RE: Security issues that come with Cloning
by Jeremy at 1:36 am EST, Jan 2, 2003 |
Nanochick wrote:
] how would fingerprints and DNA be used in forensics in the
] future? Your clone will have the exact same fingerprints,
] the exact same DNA, and the same information will show up with
] a retinal scan. In a future in which cloning may exist,
] how does one retain their personal identity when they have
] a clone running around? How can you prevent identity theft? The issue you raise exists today in the case of identical twins. According to forensic-evidence.com, the fingerprints of twins
are "similar but not identical." The explanation is located at http://www.forensic-evidence.com/site/ID/ID_Twins.html I suppose that if everyone had a clone, "DNA evidence" in criminal
cases could be devalued somewhat. But you wrote recently that DNA
evidence was mostly being used today in order to rule out suspects
rather than to convict them. Unlike today's identical twins, however, the clones you describe
would be one generation apart in age (at least), so any witnesses
should be able to testify accurately about which person they saw.
("Was the man with the gun in his 20's or his 40's?") |
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RE: Security issues that come with Cloning
by Reknamorken at 11:02 am EST, Jan 2, 2003 |
Has it been proven yet that a clone will have identical fingerprints? I know it seems intuitive, but I'm still wondering... |
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RE: Security issues that come with Cloning
by Dr. Nanochick at 10:09 pm EST, Jan 2, 2003 |
Reknamorken wrote:
] Has it been proven yet that a clone will have identical
] fingerprints? I know it seems intuitive, but I'm still
] wondering... I guess not. According to Jeremy's link having to do with identical twins, their fingerprints are different. I always thought that was because identical twins can still have slight variations in their genome. I figured clones would have identical fingerprints because in cloning, the entire nucleous is transfered, leaving no room for mutation to occur. This is what I took from the link Jeremy supplied, relating to identical twins:
"Fingerprints and physical appearance in general are part of an individuals phenotype, which arises from the interaction of the individuals genes and the developmental environment in the uterus. In the case of fingerprints, the genes determine the general characteristics of the patterns that are used for fingerprint classification. As the skin on the fingertip differentiates, it expresses these general characteristics. However, as a surface tissue, it is also in contact with the amniotic fluid in the uterus. The fingertips are also in contact with other parts of the fetus and the uterus, and their position in relation to uterus and the fetal body changes as the fetus moves on its own and in response to positional changes of the mother. Thus the microenvironment of the growing cells on the fingertip is in flux, and is always slightly different from hand to hand and finger to finger. It is this microenvironment that determines the fine detail of the fingerprint structure. While the differences in the microenvironment between fingers are small and subtle, their effect is amplified by the differentiating cells and produces the macroscopic differences that enable the fingerprints of twins to be differentiated."
So, you learn something new every day. |
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