Using current technology, physicians routinely take small skin samples from burn victims, expand the cells in tissue culture, and proceed to grow skin in sheets. These sheets are then transplanted to the burn site. Transplanting Animal Organs, Part A Cats occasionally require renal transplants to survive. Currently, the owners of pet cats needing kidneys are required to obtain a donor cat. If a home cannot be found for the donor cat following transplantation of one of its kidneys, then the life of the donor cat may be sacrificed in order to save the life of the cat needing the kidney.
Recipient cats require chemotherapy to prevent kidney rejection.
Break into groups of five. Conduct a conversation in which each student attempts to justify their position using ethical principles and arguments. Transplanting Animal Organs, Part B A combination of two recent scientific breakthroughs now provides a unique opportunity for organ replacement. Mammal clones have been developed from cells of adult sheep. Researchers have also recently used biotechnology to produce headless fetuses in mice by knocking out a gene responsible for the development of the head.