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[RC] Cloning - k s swigartIronically enough, I just watched an interesting Nova program on PBS that addressed not so much cloning but the extent to which environment affects heredity (e.g. identical twins do not express their identical genomes in the same way and this difference in the way their genome is expressed--called the "epigenome"--may also affect the way they pass on their genes). A link to the Nova program can be found here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/genes/ For anybody who is interested. Given this, it is probably inappropriate to assume that a clone (the same thing as an identical twin except not born at the same time...and incidentally exposed to more environmental differences than identical twins would be since clones are not in-utero together while identical twins are) will breed on the same way that the original individual did/would. The fact is, a genetic duplicate (which is what a clone is), is not identical to the original...perhaps not even, necessarily "genetically" since though the DNA is the same, how that DNA is expressed in the actual individual is different, including the actual individual's sex cells...and if the recent studies/investigations outlined in the program (called, "The Ghost in Your Genes") have any validity (still open to question), then differences in the environment an indvidual is subjected to during different developmental stages (even in utero) can have long reaching (i.e. into the 2nd, third, and fouth generations) effects on heritable traits (life expectancy and suceptibility to disease are two things that were studied). I think it important, that if registries are to register clones and their offspring that the registries treat these clones as individuals in their own right and not as duplicates of the original, and record their origins, including not only the donor of the genetic material but also the donor of the egg that the genetic material is inserted into and the name (and parentage) of the mare into which the embryo is transfered and it is developed. In fact, it is may also be relevant to keep track of surrogate mothers of regular embryo tranfers as well. kat Orange County, Calif. "Le meilleur que je sais les hommes le plus que j'aime mon cheval."--Catherine the Great =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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