Question

18. Describe how cloning is possible (include something about how the genetic code is universal).

19. Why does genomic sequencing require multiple copies of the genome? Describe practical aspects of including sequencing information in health care?

20. A study of 202 individuals over the age of 90 living in Calabria in southern Italy is comparing the siblings of these long-lived individuals to the spouses of the long-lived individuals. How could this strategy reveal the genetic underpinnings of longevity?

Answer 1

Ans1) Cloning is a process in which genetic information is taken from one living organism and it helps in creating the identical copies of the organisms from it. The animal which is produced from the genetic material of living organism is called clone. The cloning is possible because the genetic code is universal because each of the organisms on the planet have the same genetic code. It is just the arrangement of the nucleotides that can be different, but all the genetic material is created from four nucleotides. It is used by all the organisms. There are 64 codons within the mRNA codon and each of it consists of 3 different nucleotide combination forming an amino acid. The cloning process is possible because in this genetic material from an organism is taken to create another identical clone. This is because the DNA can be taken from a somatic cell and it can be transferred into an egg cell and hence it can produce an embryo. In this the nucleus from egg cells is removed so that the egg cell accepts the inserted DNA from somatic cell and starts duplicating it. This will lead to cell division and production of embryo till it continues the production of blastocyst phase. After this it is implanted into a surrogate mother which further continues it growth and gives birth. This helps in production of a clone which is identical to the genetic material donor.