Question

why cloning is useful

Answer 1

Molecular Cloning allows scientists to not only discover the what proteins are present and their function, but also explore what happens in a cell when these proteins are changed. When studying cell division, specifically, scientists look for proteins that control the beginning and end of division. Using the recombinant DNA (containing the both the human cell DNA and the cloned plasmid), scientists can direct the replication within the human cells.

Answer 2

The first instance of cloning dated back over one hundred years ago in 1885 with the cloning of a sea urchin by Hans Dreisch. From here Hans Speman conducted the first nuclear transfer experiment in 1902 by splitting a two-celled salamander embryo into separate cells using a single strand of hair from his own child's head.  In 1952 Robert Briggs and Thomas King used the nuclear transfer technology found by Speman to clone frogs from adult donor cells. However, it was only in 1963 when the word 'clone' was introduced by J.B.S. Haldane. In 1973 Tong Dizhou created the first inter-species clone by inserting Asian carp DNA into a European crucian carp. Through the many years of researching cloning Ian Wilmut cloned the very first mammal from an adult cell in 1997 with a sheep named Dolly. The cloning of Dolly was a breakthrough in cloning research and started many public debates about cloning of humans.