Genetic clones are not always identical to their parent organism or even to their sibling clones. Though the genetic material is the same, environmental factors affect the way the genes are expressed, just as how identical twins have slight differences in their appearance, even if the differences are as minute as fingerprint patterns or freckles.
More facts about clones:
- The first animal was cloned in 1952; it was a tadpole. Since then, scientists have successfully cloned sheep, cats, mice, pigs, rabbits and even a guar, an endangered species of wild ox.
- There actually are three types of cloning: gene cloning, which is used to create DNA; reproductive cloning, which is used to create whole animals or organisms; and therapeutic cloning, which is used to create stem cells for medical purposes.
- Clones commonly occur in nature. Several species of bacteria and plants naturally produce genetic clones, as do humans in the case of twins.