What is the application of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Technology?

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Question

What is the application of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Technology?

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: C — Reproductive cloning of animalsSolution:Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) is the technique used for reproductive cloning of animals. In this process, the nucleus (which contains the genetic material/DNA) is extracted from a somatic (body) cell of the donor organism. This nucleus is then transferred into an enucleated egg cell (an egg from which the original nucleus has been removed). The reconstructed cell is stimulated to divide and develop into an embryo, which is then implanted into a surrogate mother. The result is an animal genetically identical to the donor — a clone.The most famous example of SCNT is Dolly the sheep, cloned in 1996 by scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland — 2016 (when this paper was asked) marked Dolly's 20th anniversary.Why other options are incorrect:Option A (Biolarvicides): Biolarvicides (like Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) are produced through microbial fermentation — not SCNT.Option B (Biodegradable plastics): Biodegradable plastics are produced using microbial or plant-based biosynthetic pathways — unrelated to SCNT.Option D (Organisms free of diseases): Gene therapy and genetic engineering techniques address disease-free organisms — SCNT simply copies the genetic material of the donor, including any existing disease genes.Key Concept: SCNT has two main applications: reproductive cloning (producing genetically identical animals) and therapeutic cloning (creating stem cells genetically matched to a patient for potential medical use). Dolly the sheep was the first mammal cloned using SCNT from an adult cell. Since then, cattle, pigs, horses, cats, dogs, and monkeys have been cloned using SCNT. In India, the first cloned buffalo calf 'Garima' was produced by NDRI Karnal in 2009. Ethical debates around human reproductive cloning continue worldwide.

What is the application of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Technology?

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What is the application of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Technology?

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