A Brief Overview in Animal Cloning

Hello,

My name is Aryn Swann and I am a nursing student at Alverno College. This is my blog about animal cloning. Please enjoy.




 (WeirdSciences)



About Animal Cloning

Cloning is producing a genetically identical copy of genes, cells, tissues, plants or animals. Many people think that cloning applies only to animals and people. It can be much more simple, cutting off a portion of a plant a re-rooting it is cloning. The genetic make up does not change because it was removed from the original plant. 

Video of real single cells going through nuclear transfer.

History Timeline  (Click here)




(Dartmouth College)


Types of Cloning

There are several types of cloning that can happen; naturally occuring, asexual reproduction, gene cloning, reproductive cloning, and therapeutic cloning.

Natural Cloning:

• Naturally Occuring is in instances in which humans and other mammals can have identical twins. This occurs when a fertilized embryo spilts in half and forms an identical copy of itself. There are several types of identical twins based on when the zygote divides; monoamniotic/monochorionic (same amniotic sac/same placenta/same), monochorionic/diamniotic (same placenta/different amniotic sacs), diamniotic/dichorionic (different amniotic sacs/differnt placenta). The chance of have monoamniotic identical twins has a range from 1 in 35,000 to 60,000.
• Asexual reproduction is when a single celled organism or certain plants can produce and identical copy of themselves without the ploidy of their DNA. The offspring will only inherit DNA from the single parents and no other source.

Artificial Cloning:

• Gene cloning is a useful tool in which a specific gene can be located in a DNA sequence and extracted out. This can allow for scientists to be selective in traits and splice then out to insert into other genomes.
• Reproductive cloning is making a copy of a certain individual on purpose or accident. Identical twins can be an example of this occuring on accident. This type of cloning is used to make an entire organism.
• Therapeutic cloning is the selection of certain tissues or cells that a person can isolate and grow. This isolation can allow stem cells to be taken and manipulated into certain tissues that can be used to replace tissues that are infected or damaged.

                                (NBC NEWS)

Pros and Practical Applications

• Therapeutic cloning can be used to grow tissues from stem cells to replace damaged/diseased tissues in people
• Cloning could theoretically be used to clone endangered animals on Earth and help to maintain biodiversity
• In the future cloning could be used to grow organs from a persons own cells.This would stop the body from rejecting foreign organs
• In addition it would help to cut down on the waiting lists for people who are in need of transplants
• Growing human tissues would allow drugs and medical treatment to be tested on these tissues rather than animals. This would be helpful because it would cut down on animal testing and also it would give better results on human response. 
• People who are sterile could have children
• Genes that cause disease could selectively be taken out of the genome and not passed onto children

Cons
  

•  At this point after approximately 60 cell divisions stem cells build up a large amount of mutations that would not provide for proper testing and could also turn into cancer cells
• Stem cells will continue to divide rapidly like cancer cells do
• Cloning is very tightly regulated especially in relation to humans. This can pose a problem with experiments on regarding stem cells.
•  Removing certain genes and selecting only healthy embryos is often viewed as morally wrong
• Taking stem cells from embryos could result in embryo death which pulls in people and religious groups who feel that is wrong

Misconceptions (Click Here)

Unfortunately, as with vaccines, false information is published about animals cloning. Once such information is out it is difficult to get people to differentiate between correct sources for their information.

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cloning/cloningmyths/
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm148768.htm



References

http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/latino-daily-news/details/brazil-clones-1st-animal-in-the-world-from-adipose-cell/24574/

http://www.genome.gov/25020028

http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/how/areas-of-research/animal-cloning/

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/AnimalCloning/

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cloning/clonezone/

http://www.clonesafety.org/cloning/facts/process/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juP6iHMIYkE

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cloning/cloningmyths/

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm148768.htm

http://bruceleeeowe.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/human-cloning-surrogate-mother-and-why-is-it-wrong/