This paper explains what cloning and stem cell research are, canvasses the ethical issues associated with such work, and outlines the regulatory framework in which it operates.

The issues of human cloning and stem cell research introduce terms which are not necessarily in every day use. It is important to understand that the human body has two fundamentally different cell types: germ cells and somatic cells. Germ cells are located in the ovaries and testes, and are the cells from which eggs and sperm arise. In contrast, somatic cells are all other cell types in the body.