ASSIGNMENT ON ANIMAL CLONING

EDEXCEL IGCSE BIOLOGY 9-1

 What is Cloning?
Cloning is the process by which genetically identical
organisms are produced from a single parent organism.
This is also achieved naturally by various asexual
reproduction mechanisms, which are wide spread
throughout the natural world.
 Which mammal was first successfully cloned?
Cloning of a mammal was first achieved in 1996. Scientists
in Scotland successfully cloned an adult female sheep. The
clone was called Dolly The Sheep.
 What are the types of artificial cloning?
There are three different types of artificial cloning: gene
cloning, reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning.
• Gene cloning produces copies of genes or segments of DNA.
• Reproductive cloning produces copies of whole animals.
• Therapeutic cloning produces embryonic stem cells for
experiments aimed at creating tissues to replace injured or
diseased tissues.
 Steps of producing a cloned animal
1) The body cell is collected from an adult/parent to whom the clone will
be made and cultured.
2) An unfertilized egg cell is collected from a female and nucleus is
removed. It is now called enucleated egg cell or empty egg cell.
3) Then nucleus of the body cell is inserted into the enucleated egg cell
using some electrical spark.
4) The egg cell is then grown in the uterus of another female known as
the surrogate mother.
5) After sometime the offspring born is genetically identical to the
parent/adult.
 What are the advantages of cloning animals?
 Cloning animals would allow us to balance environmental habitats. Cloning could encourage us to restore
this equilibrium by replacing or even reintroducing cloned animals that are either extinct or endangered.
 Cloning animals would create more security in the global food supply. A higher level of food availability
will reduce conflicts, encourage innovation, and push scientists toward the innovative results that are
likely necessary for the future.
 Cloning animals could advance scientific discoveries in other fields. The scientific processes that allow us
to clone animals could be useful in the duplication of specific cells found throughout the body. We could
potentially take the techniques discovered in this field to produce new tissues or organs as needed.
 Cloning animals could help us to reduce human disease. The flu virus originates in birds, pigs, and other
animal species. Our animal cloning processes could work to stop its development by creating more
resiliency against its activity when it forms.
 Animal cloning provides us with the ability to produce the most desirable characteristics. We might use
animal cloning to produce dairy cows that offer more milk. Researchers could look at the idea of cloning
specific hens as a way to improve commercial egg production.
 What are the disadvantages of cloning animals?
 Cloning animals is the least effective way to produce offspring. Getting an animal that is the quality of
Dolly is about a 1 in 500 shot. There can be fetal size issues that can impact the health of the mother.
 Cloning animals is expensive. The current cost to clone an animal which is used for livestock is about
$20,000 per instance.
 Animal cloning creates abnormal pregnancies for the mothers. About 45% of the pregnancies which
are achieved through cloning are lost in either the second or third trimester.
 Cloning animals reduces the genetic diversity of that species. When there isn’t genetic variation, then a
population loses the ability to respond to changing environmental variables. Even though cloning is
meant to save a species, this disadvantage can lead them closer to extinction or population decline.
 Cloning animals leads to higher levels of embryo destruction. Scientists created Dolly the Sheep by
implanting almost 300 cloned embryos over time. Despite all of that work, only 13 total pregnancies
occurred. Less than 20% of nuclear transfers that involve somatic cells will develop into an embryo,
and only half of them that reach this stage are of a high enough quality to qualify for implantation.