Introduction
A clone is an exact genetic copy of a living creature.
The DNA in your cells is a mixture of the genes of both your parents. Clones are different because they have exactly the same DNA as just the one parent from which they are made.
Scientists clone cells and animals to help understand how diseases, treatments and human cells work.
There are two types of cloning. Therapeutic cloning is allowed in the UK and is aimed at growing cells that may be used for understanding and treating disease. Cloning whole humans (reproductive cloning), is illegal in the UK as it is in most other countries. The law is unlikely to change due to the huge ethical issues surrounding this science. Cloning animals is allowed in the UK.
A large supply of eggs is needed for cloning. There are also considerable ethical issues surrounding the source of these eggs.
