Is animal cloning a form of genetic modification?
Animal cloning is a different technology to genetic modification and does not involve the introduction of any new genetic material into an animal. It involves making a genetically identical copy of an animal using techniques of asexual reproduction. One of the most common techniques used is called Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT). A genetic copy of an animal is produced by replacing the nucleus of an unfertilised egg with the nucleus of a body (somatic) cell from the animal to be cloned. The egg with the transferred nucleus can then be stimulated to form an embryo, which is then transferred to a surrogate female animal where it develops until birth. Further information on animal cloning can be obtained from: www.foodstandards.gov.au/newsroom/factsheets/factsheets2008/foodderived from clone3821.
