Cloning Flashcards
Describe cuttings as a cloning method
Take cutting of the parent plant and plant them to produce genetically identical copies of the parent plant.
What are the advantages of cutting
> produces plants cheaply and quickly
Describe tissue culture as a cloning method?
A few plant cells are put into growth medium containing hormones
> grow into new plants that are genetically identical to the parent plant
What are the advantages of the tissue culture method?
> very quick
> very space efficient
> can be grown all year round
Describe the embryo transplant method of cloning.
> gametes are taken from the prize bull and cow
> egg is fertilised
> developed embryo is split before the cells become specialised
> embryos are implanted into rest of cows
What is an advantage of embryo transplants?
It allows hundreds of “ prize” cows to be born per year
Describe adult cell cloning.
> the nucleus is removed from an unfertilised egg cell
> nucleus of a body cell is implanted into the egg cell
> fertilised egg cell is stimulated with electric shock to cause it to divide in the normal way
> embryo is implanted into surrogate mother, forming an identical copy of the subject whose genetic material was used.
What are the negative issues surrounding cloning?
> less genetic variation means reduced gene pool meaning fewer different alleles meaning less if a chance of resistance to disease
> clones could be less healthy
> human cloning could take place- unsuccessful attempts could create severely disabled children.
What are the positive prospects of cloning?
> it could help to preserve species
> could help us to understand ageing and age-related disorders.
