For years, scientists have been working on the human genome project in hope that they could map every gene of a person and see what each one does.  The goal has not yet been reached, but the mapping of other organisms has been accomplished.  The fruit fly is the largest of all organisms whose genes have been mapped and already the study of their DNA has helped scientists when dealing with humans.  Scientists are able to distinguish disease genes from hearing genes from appearance genes etc.  The ability to differentiate in fruit flies has helped scientists gain insight into cancer and Parkinson's disease in humans. 

On April 6, 2000, a private company, Celera, announced that it had mapped the human genome.  Upon closer investigation, the company conceded that they had basically gotten every gene picked out, but had not put them in order nor labeled them with their functions.  Despite the negative points, Celera is on the way to mapping a human genome.  This information will bring about many other issues, such as choosing the characteristics of an unborn child and even human cloning.  One organization, Americans for Cloning Elvis, takes the possiblity quite seriously.

Cloning was, like most technologies today, thought impossible.  The highly publicized cloning of a sheep, called Dolly by her creator, Dr. Ian Wilmut,  changed the way many people thought.  Dolly was the first animal to be cloned from an adult mammal.  In almost every way, she was identical from her "mother."  The possiblities associated with the creation of Dolly shocked the world.  Human cloning, other mammal cloning, and the creation of organs for humans were only some of the new possibilities.  Wilmut hoped that for ethical reasons, humans would not be cloned, but that the technology he provided would be used for medical purposes.  He hoped that hearts and kidneys, and even blood clotting factors would be created in order to help patients awaiting transplants.