What is cloning? Are there different types of cloning?

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What is cloning? Are there different types of cloning?

Cloning is the creation of an organism that is an exact genetic copy of another.  There are different types of cloning.   A basic understanding of the different types of cloning is key to taking an informed stance on current public policy issues and making the best possible personal decisions. The following 3 types of cloning technologies (1) recombinant DNA technology or DNA cloning, (2) reproductive cloning, and (3) therapeutic cloning.

What is a Clone ?

 As per biology, a clone is a cell or an organism that is genetically identical to another cell or organism. Many simple organisms such as bacteria reproduce themselves by copying their DNA and splitting in half. The two bacteria that result from this form of asexual reproduction are genetically similar,  they are clones of each other. In contrast, during the process of sexual reproduction, the nucleus of a sperm cell, which carries the father's DNA, fuses with the nucleus of the egg cell, which contains the mother's DNA. The resulting offspring carry genetic material from both parents and are not identical to either parent.

The verb "to clone" refers to the process of creating cloned cells or organisms. The process differs, depending on the kinds of cells used in the cloning procedure and the desired result. Usually, when scientists clone an animal, they take the nucleus of a cell -- which contains chromosomes made of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and proteins -- and place it into an egg cell (also called an oocyte) from which the nucleus has been removed. The egg cell then divides to produce an embryo that develops into an animal, if the procedures work as planned.

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Cloning of Dolly  Celebrity Sheep Has Died at Age 6

Dolly ( A Sheep), the first mammal to be cloned from adult DNA, was put down by lethal injection Feb. 14, 2003. Dolly had been suffering from lung cancer and crippling arthritis. Although most Finn Dorset sheep live to be 11 to 12 years of age, postmortem examination of Dolly seemed to indicate that, other than her cancer and arthritis, she appeared to be quite normal. The unnamed sheep from which Dolly was cloned had died several years prior to her creation. Dolly was a mother to 6 lambs, bred the ...

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The essay has an okay structure, starting with a definition. I think the moral questions shouldn't been placed after the analysis of the process. Plus, I'm not quite sure posing a set of rhetorical questions is sufficient in evaluating the arguments. There needs to be evidence of explanation and judging which arguments are stronger. It was poor to see how all the arguments against cloning were disregarded. You cannot simply say "This is a ridiculous argument." and move on, there needs to be a justified opinion based on evidence. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are fine.

The analysis here is okay. The definition of a clone is clear, but I would've liked an explanation of what an exact genetic copy means to dispel any ambiguity. The three cloning methods stated in the introduction are relevant to GCSE, but unfortunately they were not all explained! Whilst I often advise using diagrams to support your explanations in Biology, here is a case where the candidate tries to get away with little analysis because they have included a diagram. Yes, the diagram shows the steps of how Dolly the sheep was cloned, but there is little explanation. Without explaining, you cannot get the marks for scientific terms such as embryo, electrofusion, surrogate mother and so on. Anyone can copy and paste a diagram, so it is essential that you explain the mechanism in words to show your understanding. I would've liked to have seen some discussion of how therapeutic cloning differs, and what other examples there are. The more mechanisms you can explain, the more likely you are to get marks for analysis and explanation. I'm not quite sure all the arguments are well explained. For example I'm questioning "It may provide a way for homosexual couples to reproduce themselves." as I don't see how cloning can ever make this possible.

This piece of coursework responds at an okay level to the task. There is a consideration of the definition of a clone, the processes involved and a variety of ethical and moral arguments. As the question specifically asks "Are there different types of cloning?" I feel as if only explaining one process is not enough. You must engage with all parts of the question, as often the latter parts are weighted with more marks. A thorough explanation of a variety of cloning methods would've brought this piece of coursework up to a higher band.