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Artificial Animal Cloning

Biology: Edexcel IGCSE, topic 6.2.6

Artificial Animal Cloning

Animals can be artificially cloned by using enucleation and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)

  • Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) was the method used to make Dolly the sheep.
  • SCNT involves the transfer of genetic material from the individual to be cloned into an enucleated egg cell, which is then implanted into a surrogate mother.
1) Egg enucleation

1) Egg enucleation

  • An unfertilized egg cell has its nucleus removed.
2) Transfer nucleus from somatic cell

2) Transfer nucleus from somatic cell

  • The nucleus from the individual to be cloned is removed from a somatic (body) cell and transferred into the enucleated egg cell.
3) Apply electric shock

3) Apply electric shock

  • An electric shock is applied to the egg cell to stimulate cell division.
4) Implant into surrogate

4) Implant into surrogate

  • Once the embryo has grown into a larger mass of cells, it is implanted into a surrogate mother.
  • The embryo (a clone of the original somatic cell) will continue to develop in the womb of the surrogate.

Test yourself on Artificial Animal Cloning

  • If the DNA from sheep 1 is fused with an enucleated egg cell from sheep 2, and the embryo put inside sheep 3, the lamb born is a clone of which sheep?

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