What Is Cloning?

Cloning is the process of creating an exact genetic replica of a cell, tissue or organism. Learn about the types and uses in medicine.

*Health information sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. co-pay.com is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.

Cloning describes the processes used to create an exact genetic replica of another cell, tissue or organism. The copied material, which has the same genetic makeup as the original, is referred to as a clone. The most famous clone was a Scottish sheep named Dolly.

There are three different types of cloning:

  • Gene cloning, which creates copies of genes or segments of DNA
  • Reproductive cloning, which creates copies of whole animals
  • Therapeutic cloning, which creates embryonic stem cells. Researchers hope to use these cells to grow healthy tissue to replace injured or diseased tissues in the human body.

NIH: National Human Genome Research Institute

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