Cloning is the process of creating genetically identical copies of biological matter. This may include genes, cells, tissues or entire organisms.

Some organisms generate clones naturally through asexual reproduction. Plants, algae, fungi, and protozoa produce spores that develop into new individuals that are genetically identical to the parent organism. Bacteria are capable of creating clones through a type of reproduction called binary fission. In binary fission, the bacterial DNA is replicated and the original cell is divided into two identical cells.

Natural cloning also occurs in animal organisms during processes such as budding (offspring grows out of the body of the parent), fragmentation (the body of the parent breaks into distinct pieces, each of which can produce an offspring), and parthenogenesis. In humans and other mammals, the formation of identical twins is a type of natural cloning. In this case, two individuals develop from one fertilized egg.

When we speak of cloning, we typically think of organism cloning, but there are actually three different types of cloning.

Cloning techniques are laboratory processes used to produce offspring that are genetically identical to the donor parent. Clones of adult animals are created by a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer. In this process, the nucleus from a somatic cell is removed and placed into an egg cell that has had its nucleus removed. A somatic cell is any type of body cell other than a sex cell.

What are the risks of cloning? One of the main concerns as it relates to human cloning is that the current processes used in animal cloning are only successful a very small percentage of the time. Another concern is that the cloned animals that do survive tend to have various health problems and shorter lifespans. Scientists have not yet figured out why these problems occur and there is no reason to think that these same problems wouldn't happen in human cloning.

Should humans be cloned? Should human cloning be banned? A major objection to human cloning is that cloned embryos are used to produce embryonic stem cells and the cloned embryos are ultimately destroyed. The same objections are raised with regard to stem cell therapy research that uses embryonic stem cells from non-cloned sources. Changing developments in stem cell research, however, could help ease concerns over stem cell use. Scientists have developed new techniques for generating embryonic-like stem cells. These cells could potentially eliminate the need for human embryonic stem cells in therapeutic research. Other ethical concerns about cloning involve the fact that the current process has a very high failure rate. According to the Genetic Science Learning Center, the cloning process only has a success rate of between 0.1 to 3 percent in animals.

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Cloning: Types, Technique, Animals and More