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Correct Answer: cloning.
the correct answer to the question is "cloning." cloning refers to the process of producing genetically identical individuals from a single somatic cell of a multicellular organism. these genetically identical individuals are known as clones.
the method of cloning involves taking a somatic cell, which is any cell of the body except sperm and egg cells, and using it to create a new organism that is genetically identical to the original organism from which the somatic cell was taken. this process bypasses the typical sexual reproduction mechanisms that involve the fusion of an egg and a sperm.
one of the most famous examples of cloning is the creation of dolly the sheep in 1997. this significant scientific milestone was achieved by ian wilmut and his team. the process involved taking a nucleus from a cell of an adult sheep and inserting it into an enucleated egg cell (an egg cell from which the nucleus has been removed). the egg cell then began to develop into an embryo after the nucleus had been inserted, essentially reprogramming the somatic cell nucleus to behave like a fertilized egg nucleus.
once the embryo was sufficiently developed, it was implanted into the uterus of a surrogate mother sheep, where it continued to grow until birth. the resulting lamb, dolly, was genetically identical to the adult sheep that provided the nucleus, effectively making her a clone.
cloning has significant implications for biology and medicine, including the potential for advancing genetic research, preserving endangered species, and developing therapeutic treatments for various diseases. however, it also raises ethical, moral, and social issues that continue to be the subject of intense debate worldwide.
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