Cloning

• cloning

  creating genetically identical copies of an organism
• micropropagation (tissue culture)


  scientific technique used to produce commercial quantities of genetically identical plants with desirable characteristics
• method of micropropagation

  • plants with desired characteristics are selected
  • plant cells (explants - roots and shoots) are taken and sterilised
  • placed in petri dish containing nutrient medium (nutrients and hormones) to stimulate growth
  • grown in a lab outside normal biological context so grown in vitro
• other way of cloning plants

  taking cuttings
• method of cloning animals

  • nucleus is removed from an unfertilised egg cell leaving an enucleated cell
  • nucleus is removed from an adult body cell and placed into the enucleated cell
  • electric shocks stimulate cell to divide by mitosis into an embryo
  • embryo implanted into female womb
  • offspring born is a clone of the adult body cell