Reproductive cloning

Reproductive cloning is a type of biological cloning which involves the production of an organism that's genetically identical to another organism. It is achieved through a process known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), where the nucleus of a somatic cell is transferred to the cytoplasm of an enucleated egg.

Process

The process of reproductive cloning involves the following steps:

1. Extraction of the nucleus from a somatic cell of the organism to be cloned.
2. Removal of the nucleus from an egg cell.
3. Insertion of the somatic cell nucleus into the enucleated egg.
4. Stimulation of the hybrid cell to begin dividing and developing.
5. Implantation of the developing embryo into a surrogate mother.
6. Birth of the cloned organism.

Applications

Reproductive cloning has several potential applications, including:

1. Reproduction of endangered species.
2. Production of genetically identical animals for research.
3. Reproduction of deceased pets.
4. Production of genetically identical animals for organ transplantation.

Ethical and Legal Issues

Reproductive cloning raises several ethical and legal issues, such as:

1. The potential for abuse of the technology.
2. The lack of genetic diversity.
3. The potential for physical and psychological harm to the cloned organism.
4. The potential for exploitation of women as egg donors and surrogate mothers.

See Also

• Therapeutic cloning
• Genetic engineering
• In vitro fertilisation
• Stem cell research

References

Reproductive cloning Resources
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