Each scientist works as part of a broader community of scientists, building on the work of others. Scientific advances often depend on the application of new technologies and/or on new techniques applied to an existing problem.
What improvements to existing cloning methods did Wilmut make that allowed him to successfully clone Dolly the sheep from an adult cell?

Question

Each scientist works as part of a broader community of scientists, building on the work of others. Scientific advances often depend on the application of new technologies and/or on new techniques applied to an existing problem.

What improvements to existing cloning methods did Wilmut make that allowed him to successfully clone Dolly the sheep from an adult cell?

Accepted Answer

Hi everyone. Here's our next question. It says identify which technique splits an embryo in half and then places it in the mother's uterus to develop. Well splitting an embryo in half done with um With a micro surgical technique is a cloning method. It generates identical twins or colognes in the lab and then they can be implanted in the mother's uterus. So that is choice B. Embryo twinning is what the name is for that. But let's look at our other answer. Choices. Choice A. Is somatic cell nuclear transfer. Well this is another colonial method but rather than splitting an embryo this takes the nucleus of an adult cell or a somatic cell and transfers it to a mature oocyte basically mimicking of newly fertilized egg. This is the method used to clone dolly the sheep famously. Ah So both of these are methods of producing clones. But somatic cell nuclear transfer involves taking the nucleus of adult cell and putting in an oocyte. Whereas embryo twinning, you have the embryo and then split it to create the clones. So choice is not our answer. It's important to note human cloning isn't considered ethical. So neither of these methods are used on humans. Then we go down to choice C in vitro fertilization. Uh In vitro fertilization involves the fertilization of an egg by a sperm in the lab with the embryo or embryos Then implanted in the uterus. So it is not a cloning method. Uh It has fertilization occurring in the lab and then the embryo implantation in the uterus. So that's not our answer. Since it doesn't involve splitting an embryo in half and then finally. Choice D artificial insemination. In this case the sperm are inserted into the female reproductive system, meaning that fertilization is internal, the sperm is inserted and hopefully fertilizes an egg within the female reproductive system. So there's no transfer of an embryo to the uterus because fertilization takes place in the mother's body. But that is not our answer as it's not involving splitting an embryo. So identifying which techniques but an embryo in half and then places it in the mother's uterus to develop. Let's choice be embryo twinning. See you in the next video.

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

Key Concepts

Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT)

Reprogramming of Adult Cells

Epigenetic Modifications