Animal Cloning
Simple organisms reproduce by mitosis (e.g. amoeba) so identical offspring are produced
Example: Dolly the Sheep (1996 - artifical clone)
- 1. Adult sheep egg removed from ovary and nucleus removed
- 2. Empty egg cell fused with DNA of udder cell of donor sheep
- 3. Fused cell developed, using donated DNA
- 4. Embryo implanted into uterus of foster-mother sheep
Result: Dolly became genetically identical to donor sheep
Plant Cloning
Clone = organism that is genetically identical to its parent
Example of cloning in nature: Potato tubers, Strawberry runners and Daffodils
Tissue Cultures
- Plants multiply very quickly by human intervention
- A number of cells are taken from the ‘parent’ plant and are grown by mitosis in growth hormones
Advantages and Disadvantages
- Many plants grow in a short amount of time Same genetic make-up: vulnerable to disease
- Little space is needed, conditions are controlled No new characteristics can arise by chance
- All new plants inherit the desired characteristics No variation: danger of reducing gene pool
