Kloonimise

Kloonimise refers to the process of creating a genetic copy of an organism or cell. In Danish usage, the term covers reproductive cloning, which aims to produce a living organism with the donor's DNA; therapeutic cloning, which seeks to obtain cells or tissues for research or treatment; and cloning methods applied in plants.

Reproductive cloning typically uses somatic cell nuclear transfer, where a donor nucleus is transplanted into an enucleated egg and the resulting embryo is implanted into a surrogate. Therapeutic cloning seeks to produce embryonic stem cells from a cloned embryo for study or therapy, without producing a birth-ready clone. Plant cloning encompasses vegetative propagation and tissue culture to generate genetically identical specimens.

History and milestones: The concept and techniques date to early cloning experiments, with Dolly the sheep in 1996 widely cited as the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. Since then, other species have been cloned, and methods have evolved to address conservation, agriculture, and stem-cell research.

Ethical and legal considerations: Human cloning remains controversial and is prohibited or tightly regulated in many countries. Debates focus on safety, autonomy, identity, potential for misuse, animal welfare, and ecological impacts. Regulatory frameworks vary and influence funding and research directions.

Applications and challenges: Cloning has potential benefits for medicine, agriculture, and conservation, including the reproduction of valuable livestock and the preservation of endangered species. Challenges include low efficiency, developmental abnormalities in some clones, and ongoing ethical and regulatory scrutiny.