Cloning Information

Cloning

Cloning is when there is an exact replica created of a living object, they are the same genetic makeup of the original object. Identical twin are natural clones. A couple of ways to make a clone is by using "artificial embryo twinning" or "somatic cell nuclear transfer".

Artificial embryo twinning: Is a low-tech type of cloning. Recreates the process in creating natural identical twins. Twins are born when the zygote divides into two cells. Thus, the two cells are identical resulting in identical twins. When scientists replicate the process it is completely the same except it is done in a Petri dish.

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT): The method that was used to create Dolly the Sheep, a clone of a sheep.

SCNT stands for:

Somatic Cell- Any cell that is not a germ cell. Each somatic cell has two sets of chromosomes, germ cells only have one.

Nuclear- Nucleus, the brain of the cell. The nucleus contains all needed information to create an organism, this information is DNA. Every one besides identical twins have different DNA.

Transfer-When an object gets moved from one place to a different place.

Dolly:

Dolly the Sheep the first to ever be cloned from any adult somatic cell from a mammal. Dolly was created when scientists removed a somatic cell from a female adult sheep. Then the nucleus of the somatic cell was transferred to an egg cell that the nucleus had been removed from. The scientists did a few minor chemical changes so that the zygote would fertilize like a normal zygote. Once it had developed into an embryo it was placed in a surrogate mother and was carried in the surrogate mother until end of term.

Natural vs. Science

In natural fertilization each germ cell carries one full set of chromosomes. But in artificial fertilization the the original set of chromosomes is taken out and the nucleus from a somatic cell is put in its place.

Harvest of Fear

Should we Grow GM Crops?

Instructions: Read the page and click YES or NO, reach the next...click YES or NO...etc until you’ve read all the arguments -- You will need to do this 12 times in order for your votes to be tallied. Navigate the site, each of the bold headings below are links within the site


1. What is a GM Crop.
A GM crop is a crop that has been genetically modified to make it "better" or "perfect".


2. List 2 arguments FOR the growing of GM cropsv

high nutrition
healthier
hope to add vitamins to foods

3. List 2 arguments AGAINST the growing of GM crops.

could hurt small farms
goes against nature

*Read some of the reader’s responses.



Engineer a Crop

4. Practice this simulation until you get the largest ears of corn. How many times did it take you?
It took two times.


What’s for Dinner?

*Click on the foods on the table to see what research is being done to bioenginner the foods.

5. List two foods and desribe how they are being modified.
potatoes(fries)- have been genetically modified to soak up less of the oil that they are being fries in, this is still pending.
corn-GM corn has been placed in test crops, they genetically modified corn to be more resistant to drought, they have changed the seed color, amino-acid composition, oil profiles, and starch content





Viewpoints

*Read the article titled “Are GM Food Sufficiently Regulated in the US?”

Do you think food should be labeled if it has been genetically modified? Why or Why not?
I think that GM food should be labeled because some people may not want to eat GM food or there may be something used to genetically modify it that could harm them. I think that it would be important to lable the GM food.