{"id":4978,"date":"2021-04-22T14:46:22","date_gmt":"2021-04-22T14:46:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mybiosource.com\/learn\/?p=4978"},"modified":"2023-03-10T14:04:25","modified_gmt":"2023-03-10T14:04:25","slug":"future-of-cloning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mybiosource.com\/learn\/future-of-cloning\/","title":{"rendered":"The Future of Cloning: From Dolly The Sheep To Elizabeth Ann"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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Table of Contents<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Introduction<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Is Cloning possible?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n

o\u00a0\u00a0 Stem cell research and cloning<\/p>\r\n

o\u00a0\u00a0 Cloning whole organisms<\/p>\r\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Do Clones ever occur naturally?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n

o\u00a0\u00a0 Asexual reproduction in single-celled organisms<\/p>\r\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The types of artificial cloning<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n

o\u00a0\u00a0 Gene cloning<\/p>\r\n

o\u00a0\u00a0 Reproductive cloning<\/p>\r\n

o\u00a0\u00a0 Therapeutic cloning<\/p>\r\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What are the animals that have been cloned<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n

o\u00a0\u00a0 Pros and Cons of cloning animals<\/p>\r\n

6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Have Humans been cloned?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n

7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dolly the Sheep<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n

o\u00a0\u00a0 How Dolly was Cloned<\/p>\r\n

8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The future of Cloning<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n

o\u00a0\u00a0 Cloning endangered animals<\/p>\r\n

o\u00a0\u00a0 Cloning can bring back extinct species<\/p>\r\n

o\u00a0\u00a0 Is it possible to clone your pet?<\/p>\r\n

9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Conclusion<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Introduction<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

While cloning is something that only exists in science-fiction in the minds of many people, the reality is that we have had cloning technology for decades. Not only have we cracked several types of cloning technology, but there is also exciting potential for cloning to yield beneficial innovations for the future generations of mankind.<\/p>\r\n

\"1.Introduction\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We\u2019re going to go through all this and more in today\u2019s guide. Where we can, we have also linked away to resources to support or provide even more in-depth information on some of the subjects that we\u2019ve brought up. Here\u2019s a rundown of each section of this guide and which questions you can expect to be answered within:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What is Cloning?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

\"2.What<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As you can see, we have a lot to establish before we can get to the future of cloning and how it can benefit us in the future, so let\u2019s get right into it!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What is Cloning?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Before we get into any specifics, it\u2019s best we explain what cloning is. There are multiple working definitions of cloning, so let\u2019s go to the root. The origin of the words for cloning comes from the plant biology field and was used to describe a similar process by which live animal cloning is facilitated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We can thank plant physiologist Herbert J. Webber for coming up with the term \u201cclone.\u201d It comes from an Ancient Greek word for twig and was intended to refer to the process of burying a plant\u2019s twig to grow a whole new plant.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This is still something that happens today in botanical and horticultural fields, even if the term clone has a whole new meaning in popular culture. If you know how cloning works, you can probably see already how this word can be used for animal cloning too. If not, don\u2019t worry, we have explained everything below.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So how can we sum cloning up in a way that isn\u2019t referring to a specific context? Perhaps the best way is this \u2013 cloning is the process of replicating a biological entity by using cells from that entity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The result is genetically identical to the original. Cambridge Dictionary sums up cloning in a very similar way<\/a>. Put simply, whether it\u2019s a plant or an animal, cloning is where a part of one thing is used to make an identical genetic copy of that thing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Is Cloning Possible?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"1.IsIf you couldn\u2019t tell by how we\u2019ve talked about cloning so far, yes! Cloning<\/span> is absolutely possible.<\/p>\r\n

Ignoring that plant cloning exists, and was the origin of the word, the animal cloning that comes to mind when most people hear the word is also possible.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Not only is it possible, but it has also happened, and happens in a wide variety of scientific fields. You see, when many people hear the word cloning, they think of the cloning of whole, living organisms.<\/p>\r\n

While that is cloning taken to its logical end-goal, cloning can also refer to the replication of individual cells and tissues.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you take just one cell of a being and use it to create just one more cell that is identical, that\u2019s also cloning. In fact, that\u2019s exactly what happens with stem cell<\/span> research.<\/p>\r\n

Stem cell<\/span> research has often led to groundbreaking developments<\/a> in the field of medicine, however, there are ethical concerns that come with the territory. To minimize these concerns, they often clone genetic material and make clones<\/span> of those clones<\/span> so that they can avoid many of the ethical concerns in the field.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It\u2019s also easy to do so since stem cells can grow into many different cell types, but that\u2019s a whole different topic. The short answer is yes, cloning is very possible because we have done so with plants, individual cells and organs, and even whole organisms, as we explain later below.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Do Clones Ever Occur Naturally?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"2.DoA common misconception is that cloning is something to be done in white, sterilized labs, with complicated test tubes and expensive equipment.<\/p>\r\n

That\u2019s not wrong, of course, we only just mentioned stem cell<\/span> research above. That said, yes, cloning is a natural process.<\/p>\r\n

When we use science to clone, we are only following the example set before us in the natural world. Single-celled organisms, once the origin of all life on this planet, reproduce asexually<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Bacteria is probably the most popular example of a single-celled organism<\/span>, and they also replicate through asexual reproduction<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n

This means they only use their own genetic information to create another single-celled organism<\/span>, which then has the same information.<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

That fits our definition of cloning! Not only that, but you don\u2019t even need to break out a microscope to see examples of cloned<\/span> life. You may have heard that invertebrates can be cloned<\/span>, and this is true.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you cut a flatworm in two, the two halves will regenerate so that there are now two distinct but genetically identical worms. The same cannot be said for earthworms, however, that\u2019s a myth. Instead, it\u2019s common that the head half survives and regenerates while the other dies.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Human identical twins are also natural clones<\/span> and the process that makes identical twins can occur in other mammals, too. That would be where a fertilized egg<\/span> splits so that two or more embryos<\/span> are created with the same DNA<\/span> signature. Maybe don\u2019t go around calling twins clones<\/span> though, that can appear rude.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some plants asexually<\/span> reproduce too. It\u2019s hard to find a mate when you\u2019re rooted in the ground all day, so some plant species have adapted to reproduce using their own genetic information.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This is most common with bulbs and tubers, like onions, ginger roots, and sweet potatoes. That\u2019s right, you\u2019ve probably eaten plants that could be described as clones<\/span> by the popular definitions of the word. This just demonstrates how natural the process is when it is found in the wild.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you were hoping for a pretty flower, the dahlia is a popular example of a flower that reproduces through its bulb, a process called vegetative propagation<\/a>. This is what onion and ginger do too, making the dahlia an example of a flower that reproduces through natural cloning.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What Are The Types of Artificial Cloning?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"3.WhatYou\u2019re probably not here to talk about plant life, however, so let\u2019s look at the different types of artificial cloning that are available to us.<\/p>\r\n

Artificial cloning is cloning that is done by humans, outside of nature, so this is where the people in lab coats come in.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There are three main types of artificial cloning that work right now. There may be more in the future, who knows?<\/p>\r\n

For now, though, we have these three to work with:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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  1. Gene<\/span> Cloning<\/span><\/li>\r\n
  2. Reproductive Cloning<\/span><\/li>\r\n
  3. Therapeutic Cloning<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Let\u2019s tackle these, one by one.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    First, gene<\/span> cloning is also called molecular cloning in some fields. Don\u2019t get confused, gene<\/span> cloning and molecular cloning methods are one and the same. Both refer to the process of cloning a piece of genetic information instead of the whole organism<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    To clone a gene<\/span>, people much smarter than we isolate the gene<\/span> that they wish to copy and place that gene<\/span> into a vector<\/a>. A vector<\/span> is just something that spreads its genetic information, in this case, bacteria<\/span> is a good example.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    By placing the gene<\/span> into bacteria<\/span> or similar asexually<\/span>-reproducing material, that gene<\/span> is also cloned<\/span> when the bacteria<\/span> replicates itself. By piggybacking on this natural asexual process, scientists<\/span> can copy genes to their heart\u2019s content.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Reproductive cloning<\/span> is how whole organisms, like living animals, are best cloned<\/span>. Alongside reproductive cloning<\/span> and animal cloning, this process is also referred to as adult cell cloning<\/span>. As the dominant form of animal cloning today, reproductive cloning<\/span> is the main focus of much of this guide, so we go into much more detail below.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    For now, let\u2019s move on and explain what therapeutic cloning<\/span> is. We have technically mentioned therapeutic cloning<\/span> already when we talked about stem cell<\/span> research. That\u2019s because therapeutic cloning<\/span> is used to make a cloned<\/span> embryo<\/span> that creates stem cells.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    By creating these embryos<\/span>, it becomes possible to farm embryonic stem cells for further research. This is done during the first five days where the embryo<\/span>\u2019s stem cells have started to divide, after which the embryo<\/span> is destroyed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    How Are Animals Cloned?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    \"4.HowAnimals are cloned<\/span> via reproductive cloning<\/span>, so let\u2019s go into more detail on that. For reproductive cloning<\/span>, a mature somatic cell<\/span> is required. What\u2019s a somatic cell<\/span>?<\/p>\r\n

    Literally any cell that isn\u2019t a sperm<\/span>, egg, germ, or stem cell<\/span>, that simple! Skin cells are an easy example of a somatic cell<\/span> that is used for animal cloning.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Once they have this cell, they transfer its DNA<\/span> into an egg cell, which has had its own nucleus, where the genetic information is, removed.<\/p>\r\n

    This can be done via injection or an electrical fusing process, either way, the end result is the same.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    After developing an embryo<\/span> from this combination, it\u2019s moved into the womb of an adult female animal so that it can be carried to term.<\/p>\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n

    When the female gives birth, the resulting animal has the same genetic information as the animal that the skin cell was taken from, making it a clone! This was how some of the most famous examples of cloned<\/span> animals were created, like a certain sheep that the second half of this guide explores.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    What Animals Have Been Cloned?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    \"5.WhatWith the mention of animal cloning, we should at least give some information about which animals we have successfully cloned<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n

    We have spent over half a century conducting experiments that involve cloning or attempts to clone that didn\u2019t go so well. Naturally, that includes animal cloning too.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    In 1952, the first-ever artificial cloning occurred with a tadpole<\/span>. Not the most exciting animal to clone, we know, but everybody starts somewhere.<\/p>\r\n

    Similarly, carp cloning was developed in 1963, establishing the world\u2019s first cloned<\/span> fish. As with so many scientific experiments, the big experiments started with lab rats.<\/p>\r\n

    Well, mice, but you know what we mean.<\/p>\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    In 1979, mouse embryos<\/span> were created and split when they were in the test tube, then implanted into the wombs of female mice. This had limited success, enough that they then started experimenting with larger creatures, from chickens to sheep, and then cows, all using variations of the tadpole<\/span> cloning technique.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Dolly the Sheep<\/span> came from somatic cell<\/span> transfer experiments conducted in Scotland and solidified herself as the first cloned<\/span> animal through that process in 1996, though not without many, many failed attempts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Cows were also cloned<\/span> in Japan but the cloned<\/span> litters had a roughly 50% survival rate at the time. Back to mice for a moment, there was also Cumulina, a mouse clone produced in 1997 that was the first cloned<\/span> animal to reach adulthood.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Granted, that wasn\u2019t very long, as she died of old age three years later<\/a>, but it was still old for a mouse and an important historical moment when looking over the timeline of cloned<\/span> animals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Since Dolly and Cumulina proved definitively that cloned<\/span> mammals could reach adulthood, many other cloning experiments have taken place and are taking place at this very moment. Name a mammal<\/span>, any mammal<\/span>, and it has probably been cloned<\/span> or attempted to have been cloned<\/span>. Here\u2019s a shortlist:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n