Animal Cloning

In biology, the term cloning refers to the process of producing genetically identical individuals. Cloning is the practice of separating a group of cells or cell derivates so that each produces only an identical copy of its type. This process occurs naturally in organisms that reproduce asexually, such as plants, insects, and bacteria. The practice of cloning has long historical roots, as it has been a common part of the human experience for thousands of years; for example, growing a plant from a cutting is an early type of cloning. The more recent history of experimental cloning of animals that do not normally reproduce asexually dates back to the early 1900s, when scientist Hans Spemann split an early salamander embryo into two parts, which then ...