DOLLY THE SHEEP Meaning and
Definition
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Dolly the sheep was a scientific breakthrough in the field of genetics and cloning. She was the world's first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell, using a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer. Dolly was famously cloned by a team of scientists led by Sir Ian Wilmut at the Roslin Institute in Scotland in 1996.
Dolly's creation was significant because it demonstrated that it was possible to produce an exact genetic replica of an animal using a single differentiated cell. This cloning technique involves removing the nucleus from an unfertilized egg cell and replacing it with the nucleus from a somatic cell, then stimulating the egg to divide and develop into an embryo. The embryo is then implanted into a surrogate mother, which gives birth to the cloned offspring.
Dolly the sheep became an international icon and symbol of scientific achievement. She was named "Dolly" after the famous country singer Dolly Parton, because the cell used to clone her came from mammary gland tissue. Her creation sparked both fascination and ethical debates surrounding cloning technology.
However, Dolly's life was marred by health issues and she developed premature aging and various ailments, leading to her death in 2003 at the age of six. Despite her abbreviated lifespan, Dolly's legacy paved the way for further advancements in cloning and genetic research, contributing to our understanding of mammalian cloning and potential applications in various fields, including medicine and agriculture.
