klónun

Cloning (Icelandic: klónun) is the process of producing genetically identical copies of a cell, tissue, or organism. In biology it encompasses several techniques, including reproductive cloning, therapeutic cloning, and genetic or molecular cloning. Reproductive cloning aims to create a whole organism that is genetically identical to the donor. Therapeutic cloning seeks to obtain embryonic stem cells for research or medical use, without producing a live clone. Genetic cloning refers to copying DNA sequences rather than entire organisms and is widely used in research, medicine, and industry.

Common methods include somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), in which the nucleus of an adult cell is transferred into an enucleated egg cell that is stimulated to develop into an embryo. The embryo can yield a cloned organism or stem cells for research. In genetic cloning, researchers use DNA vectors such as plasmids to copy and propagate specific genes in bacteria, enabling genetic analysis and production of biological molecules.

Historically, the most well-known milestone is Dolly the sheep, announced in 1996 as the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell. Since then, cloning has been reported in several species, though reproductive cloning in primates has not been widely successful. Applications include improving agricultural breeds, producing cells or tissues for medical therapies, and assisting conservation strategies for endangered species. Cloning raises ethical and welfare concerns, including the treatment of animals, potential human cloning, and issues of identity and rights.

Regulation of cloning varies by country, with many prohibiting human reproductive cloning and restricting research to therapeutic or animal cloning under strict oversight. The Icelandic term for cloning is klónun.