6.4 Cloning & Biotechnology Flashcards
Whats a clone?
genetically identical organisms or cells
What is vegetative propagation?
reproduction using the vegetative parts of the plant, a natural form of reproductive cloning
Explain the process of Vegetative propagation
Part of a plant is separated, then develops into a new plant genetically identical to the original.
When/where does Animal cloning occurs naturally
when identical twins are formed due to a zygote divides normally then the daughter cells become two separate cells
or if the animal reproduces asexually
Advantages of Natural cloning?
- If conditions are good for the parent then thetll be good for the offspring too
- Cloning is relatively rapid so population increases
- Reproduction can occur with only 1 parent
Disadvantages of Natural cloning
- No genetic diversity except from mutations
- little variation in population
- whole population susceptible to less advantageous environment change
How can we produce artificial clones of plants?
- Tissue culture
* Micropropagation
What’s Tissue culturing
growing new tissues, organs or whole plants from cuttings of certain plant sample
How should a plant cutting be taken for cloning?
Stem is cut between the leaf and nodes. Replanted and allowed to grow, sometimes with the use of plant hormones.
Summarise the Micropropagation process
- suitable plant material is cut into piece(Explants)
- explants sterilised to kill any microorganism
- explants placed on sterile growth medium with sufficient nutrients and plant hormones
- callus (mass off undifferentiated cells) form and is divided into small clumps
- clumps stimulated to grow& differentiate into different plant tissue after moving to different growth mediums
- once tiny plantlets formed they can be transferred to soil in greenhouse and acclimatize to normal growing conditions
State some advantages of artificial plant cloning
- Cloning is relatively rapid so population increases
- Reproduction can occur with only 1 parent
- plants genetically identical so will also have desirable traits
- if meristem used as explant ensures new plants virus free
State some disadvantages of artificial plant cloning
- tissue culture labour intensive
- Aseptic conditions or contamination
- no genetic variation except mutations
How can we produce artificial clones of animals?
- Somatic cell nuclear transfer; differentiated cell from parent fused with an enucleated egg cell. The cell develops into an embryo and can be implanted into a womb.
- Embryo splitting; embryo split into 2 genetically identical embryos
Give arguments for cloning in animals.
- Quick process suited to the growing population of Earth.
- Can preserve endangered species.
- used for medical/drug related testing instead of humans or animals
- produce identical copies of high value individuals with desirable traits
Give arguments against cloning in animals.
- Cloned animals often suffer from health problems.
- Low genetic diversity/ variation in species
- ethical issues regarding embryos and the ‘Creation of life just to destroy it’
Summarise the Embryo splitting process
- zygote is created by IVF
- zygote divides and forms small ball of cells
- cells are separated and allowed to continue dividing
- each small mass of cells placed in surrogate mothers uterus where it’ll develop into clone of OG