Cloning in Biology: Benefits, Types of Cloning, Human Cloning Facts

Cloning in Biology: Can we create an organism that looks exactly like the other organism? Can an organism have the same morphological and genetic composition? What is such a process called? The answer to all such questions is cloning. When the word cloning is uttered, the mind connects it to the birth of the cloned sheep Dolly. In 1998, the birth of Dolly became sensational news all over the world, and soon, debate began about human cloning. Today our understanding of the very word cloning has expanded, and we know many other types of cloning too. Cloning means creating identical copies. Plants cannot be omitted from the discussion of cloning, but being less complicated organisms than animals, they have been cloned for ages. Read this article to learn more about cloning, its types, processes and much more.

Cloning simply means creating exact replicas or copies. Cloning in biotechnology refers to the process of creating identical copies of either DNA fragments, cells or organisms. The organism which has the identical genetic make-up and the morphological attributes of the source organism is called a clone, while the process is called cloning.

Based on the origin of the process, we can have two main types of cloning, i.e. natural cloning and artificial cloning:

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Early experiments on reproductive cloning began some (40) years ago through a process known as embryo splitting. In this procedure, a single two-celled stage embryo was split manually into two cells, and then each cell was grown as an identical embryo. In (1924,) Hans Spemann and his student Hilde Mangold performed some experiments of somatic cell nucleus transfer (SCNT) in amphibian embryos. This was considered the first step towards animal cloning.

In (1996,) Ian Wilmut and his team announced the successful cloning of a sheep, Dolly. This was a major breakthrough. Dolly was cloned using the same technique of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The cloning of Dolly was significant because she was the first mammal to be cloned successfully using an adult somatic cell. The birth of Dolly was also significant because it demonstrated that a nucleus could be dedifferentiated and redesigned to develop into a new organism.

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Fig: SCNT procedure used in the cloning of Dolly

Cloning means creating identical copies. Biotechnologically, cloning refers to creating identical copies of DNA fragments, cells or animals. Cells and animals cloned are genetically identical to the source organism. Cloning can be of two types, i.e. natural and artificial. Propagation by vegetative and asexual reproductive methods are be considered natural cloning methods. Artificial cloning primarily refers to the biotechnological process of creating clones. However, human reproductive cloning has technological limitations, and the current techniques are not sufficient to create a human clone. It is also legally banned in many countries and is related to many ethical controversies.

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Q.1. Can humans be cloned?Ans: Reproductive human cloning is not possible as of now due to technological limitations and ethical controversies. It is also legally banned in many countries. However, therapeutic human cloning for obtaining stem cells is being practised for research purposes only.

Q.2. Why is human cloning banned?Ans: Human cloning is banned mainly for religious controversies associated with it. It is also feared that human clones could be abused in many ways. Seventy countries have legally banned human cloning.

Q.3. What is cloning?Ans: The organism which has the identical genetic make-up and the morphological attributes of the source organism is called a clone, while the process is called cloning.

Q.4. When was the first human cloned?Ans: The first hybrid human clone was developed in (1998) by scientists at Advanced Cell Technology, USA. They created a hybrid clone by taking the nucleus from mans leg cells and inserting it into a cows egg cell from which the nucleus was removed. This embryo died after (12) days.

Q.5. How is DNA cloning done?Ans: DNA cloning is done either by rDNA technology (genetic engineering) or by PCR technique. Reproductiveand therapeutic cloning (whole new organisms are produced) is done primarily by a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).

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Cloning in Biology: Benefits, Types of Cloning, Human Cloning Facts