The Technology Of Cloning:

The term ‘clone’ has its etymological roots in the Greek word for ‘branch’ thus highlighting the origin of the biological science of creating a duplicate of a biological organism. You basically are cloning a plant when you grow it from a cutting. Cloning is also used to refer to the occurrence of asexual reproduction in an organism.

Scientists have been conducting and closely monitoring cloning activities for years. In 1997, the first mammal, a sheep named Dolly, was successfully cloned by scientists. This development in the field of biotechnology paved the path for growing awareness around this particular field of research.

There are three main types of cloning technologies. DNA cloning or recombinant DNA technology, which refers to transferring fragments of DNA from one organism to a genetic element that is capable of replicating itself. Molecular biology is one of the main proponents of this technology.

A second type of cloning process involves creating an animal using nuclear DNA that belongs to another animal. This type of cloning is known as reproductive cloning. The most famous example of reproductive cloning is Dolly the sheep.

Therapeutic cloning or embryo cloning is the third type of cloning technology that comes under the study of cloning. It refers to the generation of human embryos for research purposes. This type of cloning method is largely used by biomedical researchers to observe the development of the human body and find a cure for diseases and ailments.

Of all the cloning processes, embryo cloning has received the most amount of criticism as the embryo is completely destroyed during the extraction procedure. But biologists are convinced that stem cells [which are used in this process] can cure Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and other diseases one day.

It is this hope that has spurred the progress of cloning technologies. Visit the National Institute of Science Media [NISM] for resources and reading material on the science of biomedical engineering. Joel Ball, the President, is a veteran publisher of books that are useful for the student and scientist alike.