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ShareIn genetics and developmental biology, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a laboratory technique for creating an ovum with a donor nucleus.
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It can be used in embryonic stem cell research, or in regenerative medicine where it is sometimes referred to as "therapeutic cloning." It can also be used as the first step in the process of reproductive cloning.
In SCNT the nucleus, which contains the organism's DNA, of a somatic cell (a body cell other than a sperm or egg cell) is removed and the rest of the cell discarded.
At the same time, the nucleus of an egg cell is removed.
The nucleus of the somatic cell is then inserted into the enucleated egg cell.
After being inserted into the egg, the somatic cell nucleus is reprogrammed by the host cell.
The egg, now containing the nucleus of a somatic cell, is stimulated with a shock and will begin to divide.
After many mitotic divisions in culture, this single cell forms a blastocyst (an early stage embryo with about 100 cells) with almost identical DNA to the original organism.
For more information about the topic Somatic cell nuclear transfer, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:
Embryonic stem cell — Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are stem cells derived from the undifferentiated inner mass cells of a human embryo. Embryonic stem cells are ... > read more
Cloning — Cloning is the process of creating an identical copy of an original organism or thing. A cloning in the biological sense, therefore, is a molecule, ... > read more
Plant cell — There are three major classes of plant cells that can then differentiate to form the tissue structures of roots, stems, and leaves. (The three ... > read more
Dolly the Sheep — Dolly (July 5, 1996 - February 14, 2003), a ewe, was the first mammal to have been successfully cloned from an adult cell. She was cloned at the ... > read more
Fertilisation — Fertilisation, also spelt fertilization (also known as conception, fecundation and syngamy), is fusion of gametes to form a new organism of the same ... > read moreEditor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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