Approfondimento: CLONING Flashcards
what does cloning means?
cloning describes the processes used to create a replica of another cell with the same genetic makeup as the original.
what was the first thought many people have about cloning?
they reconnect this therm to horror and science fiction stories about the creation of human monsters, superhuman weapons and stuff like that.
the breakthrough of 1997:
in 1997, at the Roslin Institute in Scotland the first cloned mammal was born : Dolly the sheep.
who is Dolly?
Dolly is the first mammalian cloned sheep that was brought to life. The only success out of 227 attempts. She was born in 1997 and she died in 2003. She lived a shorter life than an ordinary sheep.
what is the technique used to create Dolly?
It is called SOMATIC CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER, where the cell nucleus from an adult cell is transferred into an unfertilized oocyte without a nucleus. This hybrid cell is stimulated to divide by an electric shock.
was Dolly the first cloned organism?
No, 40 years before doc. John Gurdon cloned a South African frog and doc. Tong Dizhou cloned an Asian carp but Dolly was the first mammalian, so more complex organism successfully cloned in history.
what are advantages of cloning?
It may have a use in preserving endangered species and be important in the future production of transgenic livestock. Nowadays it is still too expensive and unsafe.
what are the downsides of cloning
Many cloned animals have died during birth, many have died after birth because of severe illnesses or would die during pregnancy.
cloning in biotechnology:
It refers to diverse processes all used to create copies of DNA fragments (molecular cloning), cells (cell cloning) or organisms.
what is therapeutic cloning?
therapeutic cloning is a procedure used to harvest steam cells that can be used to study disease development and to treat diseases. Scientists hope one day to be able to replace damaged tissues, to treat heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cancer, ecc…
why steam cells are so important?
Steam cells are important because they can be used to generate any kind of specialized cell in human body.
what is reproductive cloning?
Reproductive cloning creates copies of whole animals, it generates an animal which has the same DNA as an existing animal.
what are the downsides of reproductive cloning?
It has the potential of generating severe genetic defects therefore this procedure is illegal in many countries because it could create the twin of an existing person.
