Cloning is the creation of a genetically identical organism through non-traditional reproductive means. It involves creating an artificial twin based on the DNA of something that already exists (plant, animal or other organism).
There are several different types of cloning, and not all cloning leads to the reproduction of an identical twin of what is being cloned. The type that is most often argued about in the media and in the legislature is reproductive cloning (the most famous example was Dolly the cloned sheep). DNA from another sheep was used to create a cloned embryo which grew to be Dolly, a genetic replica of the original sheep. She lived a full life and had babies of her own, proving that cloning is possible. Cloning can also be used to create food products - a technology that is currently under development as a means of addressing world hunger and scarcity of resources.
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