Historians R Us

This blog is the property of the AP US History class at Pope John XXIII High School in Everett, MA, USA. Here students explore current events in America, while seeking to understand the historical roots of those events. At the same time, students are able to carry on classroom discussions in the cyber world.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Do you know what you're eating?

ViaGen a company specializing in the cloning of and genetically banking of animal genes has recently had their products approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for public sale. In translation, it is now legal for consumers to buy and eat cloned meat. Whether you need a legendary racing horse cloned or just simply own a dairy and need more female calves, ViaGen can offer to you genetic cloning at a low price. Usually costing less then $150,000 many breeders and farmers have sought out ViaGen's services and have found success in their ventures. Although it may seem odd to be eating a cloned animal, the benefits for farmers are numerous. Reproductive potential is greatly increased, as well as expanding marketing opportunities for sellers. This may not be the first time we have heard of cloned animals, but it certainly is one of the first times that we have been made aware of the benefits that they may offer to society.
This now widely accepted form of cloning came to the United States in the 1990's with the cloning of Cumulina. Born December 3 of 1997, Cumulina, a mouse, was the first animal cloned to survive into adulthood. The female mouse lived until May 3, 2003 when she was retired after producing two litters. The cloning of Cumulina paved the way or our country to use genetic altering in the future and create a healthier, more beneficial way to support breeders of our country.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home