BRAINCAKENatural Clones in Animals
Natural cloning also occurs in animals. Clones are produced by mitosis, so they are genetically identical to each other.
Identical (monozygotic) twins are the main example of natural cloning in mammals, including humans. A single egg is fertilised to form a zygote. In the early embryo, the cells are totipotent. Very early in development, the embryo splits into two, and each part develops into a separate individual. The twins are genetically identical to each other, but not to either parent, because the zygote was formed by sexual reproduction.
Many invertebrates reproduce asexually and form clones of the parent:
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Key terms in this lesson
- totipotent
- Describes a cell that can divide and differentiate into any type of cell needed to form a whole new organism.
More in Cloning and Biotechnology
- Vegetative Propagation
- Artificial Clones - Cuttings
- Tissue Culture and Micropropagation
- Pros and Cons of Plant Cloning
- Artificial Twinning
- Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
- Pros and Cons of Animal Cloning
- Microorganisms in Biotechnology
All 21 lessons in Cloning and Biotechnology · All OCR A-level Biology topics