Animal cloning

Artificial cloning in animals

• twins are natural clones

• Artificial clones can also be produced in animals

  • Livestock for meat and milk production

  • Clones of the best meat or milk producers can be made

  • This increases the productivity of the herd

• Artificial twinning - useful to farmer

  • Can clone animal that produces high yield

  • Maximal yield and profit

• Use of early embryos

  • Early embryos are totipotent

  • Once cells start to differentiate they cannot grow into a whole organism

• Embryos grown in lab after splitting

  • Checks that they are developing normally so there is the best chance of success

• Pigs have multiple embryos implanted into each surrogate mother

  • Pigs normally produce litters so there is more chance of the embryos being rejected

  • Implanting multiple embryos increases the chance of success

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)

• pharming

  • Production of animals that have been genetically engineered to produce useful products in their milk for example

• GM animals

  • Grow organs that could be used for transplants