Why would transplanting of animal organs to humans be a good thing?
441900
The transplantation of animal organs/cells into humans is called xenotransplantation. I wrote a paper on it for my medical ethics class in undergrad. Here's a link from a reputable website with a bit of information about it: http://www.emedicine.com/PED/topic2903.htm
169320
I think he was talking about technologies where they can grow human parts on rats and such using stem cells...like grow ears and human skin on host animals that can be harvested for transplants and such.  Not sure how this is too different from doing transplants with pig hearts and such....
193555
I think testing on animals often times is unethical. The end does not always justify the means to me. In fact, with some religions it all about the means. Stealing and killing are often means to a desired end, but clearly unethical.\n\nAlso I believe using a human embreyo for an ethical end but by unethicals means is wrong.
580832
Firstly, genetically modifying a human is *very* difficult. Scientists had just finished mapping the human genome, and there're are a lot of genes that they don't understand. Without fully understanding how each gene works, it is difficult and dangerous to alter it this drastically. Even if we can successfully incorporate the animal genes into human genes, we don't know if there is going to be any bad side effects.\nSecondly, the human and animal genomes are quite different. Scientists may know which genes can make birds fly, but they won't know where to insert these genes into the human genome.\nThirdly, genetics is still an extremely touchy subject. Many people can't even accept test-tube babies. Genetically modifying the human body? Those scientists would be condemned by millions of people, won't get government fundings, get hate mails etc. Now who would want to risk something like that?
585949
No.\n\nThere are several reasons. First, most "animal characteristics" are not the result of a single gene. Instead, they require many genes products working together with each other and the rest of the body. This is a level of complexity we simply don't understand yet.\n\nAnother major issue is getting the DNA into a person. People are beginning to experiment with modified viruses (ie, cannot replicate) for this purpose, but so far nothing has worked very well. Probably the biggest obstacle to gene therapy is a workable way to get new DNA into a person's cells.\n\nIn simpler organisms the DNA modifications have been done directly with fertilized eggs. That's a simple thing to do with plants and fruitflies, but a very difficult thing (not to mention the ethics involved) to do with people.\n\nWhile we are very able to insert particular genes into some cells, don't look for animal characteristics in the foreseeable future.
947970
I agree...I believe that in the proper hands, this could solve many health issues. As with everything else, even good things in the wrong hands, can get ugly...but that's not reason enough NOT to benefit society.\nI was asked many years ago to participate in a survey of 12 people in a room, ( including a man in a religious order) and we all gave pros and cons on why we thought they either should or shouldn't do stem cell research...Most of us concluded that it would be a benefit to society.
281261
I think a great deal more needs to be done in animal cloning before humans get involved. Besides the ethical issues, there are real physiological difficulties that seem to erupt in cloned organisms. It seems that having two sets of genetic material really is important.
227872
Stem cells are little cells that babies have to form their organs. They can be made into whatever cell you need basically. Stem cell implantation is a handy little thing that transfers embryonic cells (like the kind you had when you were first convieved) into basically whatever kind of adult cell that you need. (It could be a kidney, heart, lung etc..) Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with that, but there are people why believe that it is inhumane. Stem cells can be taken out of the mothers umbilical cord, and also when women get their tubes tied we want to use the rest of their eggs for stem cell research. Some people say that this is murder in itself and should be banned, but they probably know nothing about it. Stem cells could save lifes of many people. (people that have diseases such as Parkinsons, Alzheimers, Diabetes, etc..)
569128
Absolutely.  As a matter of fact, some dogs even become paralyzed just the same as humans do.  There are some dogs who have been seen with a platform on wheels holding their bottom half of the body so that they can still walk using their front legs to move forward and backward.\n\nSome people may not agree that this should be done but nonetheless, it has been done on many occasions.\n\nYou should also know that despite how different humans and dogs seem to be, we both have almost the same organs inside our bodies as well.  Dogs and humans have hearts, kidneys, lungs, liver and many other parts that all behave the same way.  This is why dogs can develop the same illnesses as humans such as diabetes, heart failure, kidney problems, etc.\n\nIn today's society, it is so much more important that we treat our dogs (and cats who are much the same) humanely because they do suffer from so many of the same problems as us.  Just as we have doctors, they have veterinarians.\n\nIn many places in North America, one can purchase health insurance for their pets which is probably a good idea if you have a very young animal since it will live quite a number of years and if it has any problems, just like humans do, it requires medical help.  All this costs money and if health insurance is good for humans, then it only makes good sense for animals.\n\nAt the very least, make sure you have your pets vaccinated and spayed or neutered (unless it is a breeding animal) and take good care of your pet.  I don't believe that very small children should have pets around on a regular basis because they don't understand how delicate puppies, kittens or small breeds of dogs really are.  If a small dog gets tossed around or dropped enough, then bones are easily broken and this definitely includes the spine (or back) that you asked about in the first place.\n\nI hope I was able to help you and perhaps you have learned something in the process.
1088994
don know, but if this can possible, human life can be extended because Brain is our harddisk so if we transplant the same, we can extend human life.
781819
Well, humans need animals and plants for food, raw materials, entertainment and other related functions.\n\nHumans can help plants disperse their seeds and can help feed certain animals.
60809
the advantage is that you can test products on an animal and avoid endangering a human in the testing.  The disadvantage is that animals will not always react the same as humans would.
694664
(this is an ad-hoc answer for an ad-hoc question)\n\n - because cloning is good - because no one wants to die or have to amputate something or live impared.
497886
Genetically it is not really a suitable replacement.There are rejection problems involved in interspecies transplants.However current studies are being made into the suitability of pigs as donor material for various organ transplants.
412881
We are already close to being able to cloning people.  I don't think it is already done because it would be a huge victory to who ever that did it.  I don't think there is any difference between cloned human and natural human.  I read that due to chromosome markers cloned subject have a problem of premature aging.  Other than that the animal that is clone seem normal enough.  I don't think we really need cloning since most human attribute come from our experience and our free will.  Having the right gene just isn't enough.  Also since there are too many people already there is really no reason to clone people.  Now if we did have a nuclear exchange or a virus breakout where the population become threatened, than we may have cloning.  I don't know, it is too complicated a subject right now.
304935
Primarily because one can get donors from the family, thus reducing the chances of foreign proteins causing rejection.  Kidney transplants come from living people, thus are always extremely fresh-and the person can be carefully chosen to match a great number of protein markers.  This is not true for heart transplants, which must come from terminal victims, and in which they must merely take the best match, no matter how bad it is.
438187
There is, it is illegal, and immoral, Organs safe for transplant have to go through rigorous testing and tissue typing, stolen organs taken from corpses are not tested, there were several cases of stolen organs transplanted into patients in New England recently, fortunately it seems there were no adverse effects.