Interspecies Cloning

name Jerome
status educator
grade 9-12
location

Question - In cloning, is it necessary that the enucleated egg
be of the same species as the implanted nucleus; e.g. can an
enucleated egg taken from an orang be implanted with a nucleus
taken from a chimp to produce a chimp clone? What's the chemistry involved?
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If the enucleated egg and cell are from closely related species, the hybrid
cell might develop into a viable organism closely resembling the nucleus
donor since the vast majority of the genes are in the nucleus, but the
mitochondrial genes contributed by the enucleated egg must be compatible
with the nuclear genes. I don't think the experiment has been done.

Ron Baker, Ph.D.
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