Generating a genetically identical copy of a cell or an organism

Dolly the Sheep

Over 25 years ago Dolly the sheep, a female Finnish Dorset sheep was the first animal clone. When revealed to the world, she caused a sensation. Many scientists had believed cloning animals was impossible. Dolly's creation showed that DNA in a differentiated cell could be repurposed through nuclear transfer, opening up to new possibilities.

She was cloned by associates of the Roslin Institute in Scotland, using the process of nuclear transfer from a cell taken from a mammary gland. Her cloning proved that a cloned organism could be produced from a mature cell from a specific body part.

It took scientists 277 tries to

succeed in cloning Dolly.

The successful cloning of Dolly led to widespread advancements within stem cell research, including the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells.

Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash