What Is Cloning Used For?
Cloning is the process of creating an organism that is genetically identical to another organism. The DNA of a clone is exactly the same as the original organism; identical twins are a form of "natural" cloning. Cloning has many applications.
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Plants
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Some plants clone themselves to reproduce. Grafting plants is also a method of cloning, since all branches grown from the graft are genetically identical to the original graft. Horticulturalists clone plants in order to achieve certain qualities such as color, height or disease resistance. For example, bananas cloned to improve disease resistance are less susceptible to many viruses.
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Animals
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Although scientists have successfully cloned many animals--such as mice, cats, sheep, rabbits and pigs--cloning is still expensive and inefficient. Additionally, most cloned animals suffer severe medical issues, and many die prematurely. Theoretically, however, cloning could help scientists repopulate endangered and extinct species.
Food
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In January 2008, the FDA approved meat and milk products from cloned cattle, pigs and goats.
Organ and Tissue Transplants
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Scientists hope to be able to develop human tissue and organs that can be transplanted with less risk of rejection.
Human Cloning
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The possibility of human cloning is highly controversial. Proponents of human cloning argue that cloning could provide a solution for infertile couples, homosexual couples or couples who have lost a child.
References
- Photo Credit "Oh just peel it already!" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: Darwin Bell (darwin Bell) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
