Cloning (Earth-7149)

Cloning is a human medical process that produces genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects, plants or animals reproduce asexually. Cloning creates copies of DNA fragments, cells, blood, body parts, or entire humans.

Beyond biology, the term also refers to the production of multiple copies of a product such as digital media or software. The term clone, invented by J. B. S. Haldane, is derived from the Ancient Greek word κλών klōn, "twig", referring to the process whereby a new plant can be created from a twig.

Human cloning
While cloning is possible, the procedure is incredibly complicated, even with the technology provided in the 26th century, and it is also is illegal as per the Sudham-Wolcott Genetic Heritage Act of 2361. It involves the modification of a cloned human embryo: such method leads to the embryo developing 100 times faster than it would normally, causing various anomalies duo to the abnormal development rate, lacking the socialization and muscle memory of the host. However, beginning with 2525, such problems could easily be treated with intensive gene therapy that corrects the biological defects. Cloning that does not meet the requirement induces gross DNA base-pair errors, including congenital defects, that can increase 42%, or even induce advance Parkinson plus syndromes, at an increase of 67%. Clones have the normal life expectancy of a human, being 90-120 years. In laboratory conditions, clones have a life expectancy of 89.8 weeks.

The Weyland-Yutani Corporation was able to perfect cloning technique through transferring a person's memories to the brain of the clone, and thus creating a virtually identical clone to the host. Said process utilized a scanner that mapped the ionic density patterns of a brain, leading to a virtual map of every link in someone's brain neuron patterns. This was then utilized in deep-stimulating scans of the clone's "blank" brain, cultivating an identical pattern to successfully replicate one's memories to the clone. Initially, the memory replication resulted in high rates of dementia, schizophrenia, cancers, and autism, as Halsey herself experienced after manufacturing clones of herself, but she was later able to perfect it.

This process was utilized to create clones of Ellen Ripley and the Queen Chestburster within her in 2568 aboard the USS Auriga. Duo to the lack of perfection over the method, the seven initial clones died, with only one, Ripley 7, enduring enough.

Organ cloning
By the 26th century, cloning of organs has fully replaced the donating of organs as the standard means to replace organs, both in civilian and military life. Unlike human cloning, organ cloning is not illegal. Hearts, livers and endocrine systems are the most cloned body parts, and upon transplantation, they negate the effects of a previously unhealthy lifestyle, exponentially expanding the lifespan of a normal human from their 120s to roughly 170s. With the advancement of the cloning methods and the DNA matches of the host, transplant rejection is completely removed.

Trivia

 * Cloning on Wikipedia.