Cloning

by Surriento

Cloning is not all the same exaggeration in TV dramas as it is in real life. As many learn in beginning biology, gene splicing is used to separate a segment of DNA containing desired traits. The separated segment is then reformed (in the case of cloning) into a cell to make recombinant DNA. The cells rapidly divide to form colonies of identical cells. But cloning has been an unstable method of genetic manipulation, with a success rate (in the case of Dolly, the first animal clone) of 1 to 277 attempts, and while the exact percentage varies from species to species, its almost always between 0.1-0.3%. Simply put, has a success rate of 1-3 cloned organisms in every 1000 attempts. But even should an organism be born, few live longer than a few days after they are born. Genetic manipulation does not guarantee an identical replica as many sci-fi's seems to so adamantly portray. One example is CC, clone of Rainbow the cat. While bearing identical DNA, the two kitties differed in fur patterns, as well as a many other aspects: build, personality, preferences, and eating habits. While cloning does essentially ‘replicate’ an organism, many other factors, such as environment and personal experiences, also have a serious impact on its appearance and character. As CC and Rainbow show, genetically identical does not mean exactly the same. Clearly, cloning is still an imperfect science, and we have a lot left to learn.