Basic Information About Cloning

According to the Human Genome Project Information, most people understand cloning as reproductive cloning. However, there are different types of cloning. The most common forms of cloning include reproductive cloning, therapeutic cloning and DNA cloning.

Function

• DNA cloning is the transfer of a DNA fragment of one organism to a self-replicating element such as plasmid. Reproductive cloning is the process of generating a new animal that has the same nuclear DNA as an existing animal. Therapeutic cloning is the cloning of embryos for research.

Dolly the Sheep

• One of the most famous reproductive cloning processes involved a sheep named Dolly. The sheep was the first mammal cloned from adult DNA. Dolly lived for six years and was a mother to six lambs.

Misconceptions

• According to the book "After Dolly: The Promise and Perils of Cloning," there is a misconception that cloning produces an exact replica. The authors explain that cloning is not photocopying and does not provide an exact replica of the object being cloned.

Considerations

• In the future, scientists hope to use therapeutic cloning to generate organs and tissues. The organs and tissues would be used for transplant purposes.

Controversy

• There is controversy surrounding the potential cloning of human beings. Some scientists from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and physicians from the American Medical Association have formally and publicly advised against human cloning. The government has also considered legislation that would make human cloning illegal.