Some clones are real “buds.” Clones can be found naturally in nature in single-cell organisms that reproduce asexually by forming buds like plants. These organisms develop from only one parent and are considered clones.

Clones can also be found in the plant kingdom. Many types of plants are reproduced from a process called vegetative propagation. This process creates an identical plant from a piece of root or stem from the donor plant.

Potatoes are an example of a plant clone. Idaho potato growers use cut “seed” pieces of Russet Burbank potatoes to grow a new crop each year. So all Russet Burbank potatoes are the same genetically!

Identical twins are a form of cloning that occurs naturally. When an embryo splits in two it produces identical or monozygotic twins. Both embryos share the same genetic material. People who are identical twins are a form of clones, too!

Man-made Clones

Nearly 50 years ago, scientists made the first animal clones by splitting frog embryos. In 1996 the first mammal was cloned in Scotland – a sheep named “Dolly.” Since then, scientists have successfully cloned other mammals. These include cows, pigs, a cat, and the first equine, a mule named Idaho Gem, was cloned at the University of Idaho in 2003.

Cloning an adult animal is a big deal. That’s because it’s hard to take a skin cell and expect it to grow into another whole animal. This is called nuclear transfer cloning.

The nucleus of a cell contains the DNA – the genetic blueprint – to make a whole new animal. That’s how scientists use cloning to make an exact genetic copy.

Will all of the copies look and act the same? Probably not. That’s because one clone might eat better and get stronger or another might get sick. The environment that the clone lives in could have a difference on how it develops.

Scientists argue about whether nature – basically DNA and genetics – is more important than nurture – how well the baby clone is cared for. Clones might help settle the argument. But everyone agrees both nature and nurture make us who we are.

[Glossary]