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Biotechnology. Genetic Engineering. Cloning. Cloning is the process in which identical offspring are formed from a single cell or tissue Many plants have the ability to naturally clone themselves; this is called totipotent (i.e. strawberries, aspen trees)
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Biotechnology Genetic Engineering
Cloning • Cloning is the process in which identical offspring are formed from a single cell or tissue • Many plants have the ability to naturally clone themselves; this is called totipotent (i.e. strawberries, aspen trees) • Most animal cells are not totipotent (except salmanders) but technology has advanced to allow us to clone (i.e. Dolly the sheep) C.C. the cat (carbon copy, or copy cat)
Cloning • There are a few ways that cloning can occur • Nuclear transfer from blastula • Nuclear transfer with electrical or chemical shock • Identical twins • By budding
Nuclear transfer from blastula The nucleus of a cell from a blastula is removed and transplanted into an enucleated unfertilized egg Enucleated = cells that does not contain a nucleus - This egg begins to divide by mitosis, eventually forming an organism Removing the nucleus from a cell
Nuclear transfer from blastula Remove Nucleus Mitosis Fertilized Egg Blastula Stage Unfertilized Egg Remove Nucleus Enucleated Cell Cell with transplanted nucleus begins to divide by mitosis
Why clone from a blastocyst? • Tried at gastrula stage but when they transplanted the nucleus the cell did not divide • Nuclear material must now be fixed and cells would have already started to differentiate
Dolly and Telomeres • If cells divided without telomeres, they would lose the ends of their chromosomes, and the necessary information they contain. • The telomeres are disposable buffers blocking the ends of the chromosomes, are consumed during cell division, and are replenished by an enzyme, telomerase reverse transcriptase.
Identical Twins • After an egg has been fertilized, the newly formed zygote will divide and re-divide through successive mitotic cycles to form the multicellular embryo • If a cell should break free from the forming embryo early in this process (prior to differentiation), it will develop into a second embryo having identical genetic information Are they clones?
Abnormal Cell Division: Cancer • The growth, differentiation and replication of cells is highly controlled • Uncontrolled cell division occurs when cells divide and they do not have a mechanism to stop • This results in a tumor
Cancer: Tumors A benign tumor is a tumor that stays in one place, and often eventually stops dividing A malignant tumor is a tumor that can metastasize (spread)
Carcinogens • Carcinogenic or cancer-causing agents (x-rays, UV light, chemicals and some viruses) can cause mutations in the chromosomes that affect the replication process • Mutations can also occur on their own