Question

A cloned mammal is made by a similar technique as the one used to produce transgenic animals, except the entire genome is replaced instead of a single gene. This is accomplished by removing the DNA from the unfertilized egg of an egg donor, replacing it with DNA from a normal body cell of a mature animal, and then implanting that cell into the uterus of a surrogate mother. The cell then divides and behaves as if it were a normal embryo. Answer the following questions regarding a clone. Of whom is the baby a clone?

Answer 1

Answer:

The baby is clone of mature animal from which normal body cell was taken.

Explanation:

Three mothers or parents are involved in this process:

1. the one who donated the egg cell

2. the one from which body cell or DNA content was taken

3. the surrogate mother

The DNA content was removed from the egg cell. Thus, this animal did not contribute any DNA content to the cloned baby. Hence, it cannot be a biological mother of the clone.

3. This mother only contributes to nutrition and development of the baby. However, did not contribute any DNA content and thus, it is also not a biological mother.

2. The mature animal contributed whole genetic content of the clone. It is his or her DNA which was cloned into the enucleated egg. Thus, it is biological parent of the clone.