Bellringer (do on a piece of notebook paper, your exit slip will be on it as well)

In a couple sentences, answer the following:Cloning an organism is extremely difficult, and not without challenges, but in some cases IS possible. If you had to choose one non human organism to clone (extinct or alive today) what would it be, and why?

4.4: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

4.4: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

•Cloning: producing identical copies of genes, cells or organisms.

•Clone: a group of genetically identical organisms or a group of cells artificially derived (made using lab techniques) from a single parent cell.

•Reproductive Cloning: very useful if an organism has a desirable combination of characteristics and more organisms with the same characteristics are wanted.

•Therapeutic Cloning: Sometimes cloning is used to produce skin or other tissues needed to treat a patient.

Video 1 (6)

• Basics of cloning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0B9Bn1WW_4

4.4: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

•Vocabulary review•After fertilization, what can happen to the

embryo?•Mitosis: Process by which a cell generates two

identical ‘daughter’ cells (you’re EXPERTS at mitosis!)

•Differentiation: Process by which a less specialized cell becomes a more specialized cell (Example: Embryonic stem cells can become ANY type of cell, but once differentiation begins, they go down a ‘pathway’ to become a specific type of cell)

•What types of specialized paths can human cells go down?

4.4: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

•Cloning using a differentiated animal cell

• In 1996, a sheep by the name of Dolly was born. She was the first clone whose genetic material did not originate from an egg cell.

•This is considered reproductive cloning because it makes an entire individual.

•Here is how the scientists in Scotland produced Dolly:

•1. From the original donor sheep to be cloned, a somatic cell (non-gamete) was collected and cultured. The nucleus was removed from a cultured cell.

4.4: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

•2. An unfertilized egg was collected from another sheep and its nucleus was removed.

•3. Using a zap of electrical current, the egg cell and the nucleus from the cultured somatic cells were fused together.

•4. The new cell developed in vitro in a similar way to a zygote and started to form an embryo.

•5. The embryo was placed in the womb of a surrogate mother sheep.

•6. The embryo developed normally.

•7. Dolly was born, and was presented to the world as a clone of the original donor sheep.

4.4: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

4.4: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Video 2 (13)

• The story of Dolly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tELZEPcgKkE

4.4: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

• Cloning using UNDIFFERENTIATED cells

• In some cases, scientists are not interested in making an organism but simply in making copies of cells.

• This is therapeutic cloning and its aim is to develop cells which have not yet gone through the process of differentiation.

• To start this, embryos must be used, because embryonic stem cells are needed.

• These stem cells have the capacity to turn into any type of human cells which can be used to replace tissues or even organs that have become damaged or lost in the patient.

• Because embryos are used, naturally there are ethical issues on this hot topic.

4.4: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Ethical issues surrounding therapeutic cloning

PRO CON

Embryonic stem cells can be used for therapies that save lives and

reduce suffering

Every human embryo is a potential human being, which should be given a chance of

developing

Cells can be removed from embryos that have stopped

developing, so would have died anyway

More embryos may be produced that are needed, so some may

have to be killed

Cells are removed at a stage when embryos have no nerve cells and

cannot feel pain

There is a danger of embryonic stem cells developing into tumor

cells

• Cloning living sheep, and cloning living cells is one thing… but what about extinct species?

• Is a Jurassic Park scenario possible?

• Let’s look at the Thylacine to try to answer this question.

4.4: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Video 3 (15)

• Cloning the Tasmanian Tiger

Exit Slip:

1. If you wanted to clone Mr. McGuire, explain how you would accomplish this, step by step.

2. If you wanted to clone the Thylacine, and you were able to overcome all of the cloning challenges, how well do you think a new specimen would be able to survive? (Hint: Imagine if humans had been extinct for a hundred years, and aliens ‘cloned’ a couple of us… how ‘human’ would we be, with no education or parenting available?

4.4: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology