kloning

Kloning refers to the process of creating genetically identical copies of biological material. It encompasses gene cloning, which replicates DNA segments, and organismal cloning, which yields an entire organism genetically identical to a donor. A related concept is therapeutic cloning, aimed at producing cells and tissues for medical treatment, often by creating embryonic stem cells with the donor's genes. Reproductive cloning seeks to generate a whole organism.

Gene cloning has long been used in research and industry to produce DNA fragments, genes, or proteins for study or therapy. Organismal cloning uses techniques such as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), in which the nucleus of an adult cell is transferred into an enucleated egg and stimulated to develop into an embryo, which can be implanted into a surrogate mother. Dolly the sheep, cloned in 1996, was the first mammal produced this way. Since then, several species have been cloned, including cattle, mice, goats, and dogs. Cloning in plants is more common and historically tied to tissue culture and vegetative propagation, enabling many crops to be replicated reliably.

Ethical and regulatory issues: Human cloning raises concerns about identity, autonomy, consent, and potential social harms. Cloning for reproduction is prohibited or tightly restricted in many jurisdictions, while some places allow therapeutic cloning or research under strict oversight. Safety concerns include high failure and abnormal offspring rates in some cloning attempts and epigenetic abnormalities.

Future developments: Advances in genome editing, stem cell research, and cloning techniques influence medical and agricultural applications. The term kloning covers a spectrum from simple DNA cloning to complex organismal cloning, but real-world use varies by field and regulation.