Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT)
Definitions
Adult Stem Cell: Cell taken from mature
tissue that can renew itself but has limited ability to transform
into specialized cell types.
Cloning: Creating a genetically identical organism. While
much attention has been paid to reproductive cloning, other types of
cloning have been in use for years and have led to several
breakthroughs in agricultural production, DNA forensic evidence, and
biotechnology.
Blastocyst: A clump of 30 to 150 cells that has not been
implanted into a uterus.
Differentiation: The process by which early, unspecified
cells acquire features of specific cells, such as heart, liver, or
muscle tissue.
Embryonic Stem Cell: Cell taken from an embryo that has
the potential to become a wide variety of specialized cells.
Nucleus: The core of a cell that contains chromosomes.
Regenerative Medicine: Repairing the body through its own
regenerative mechanisms-including stem cells-to renew damaged
tissues and organs.
Reproductive Cloning: The practice of attempting to create
a human being who is an exact genetic copy of a particular
individual. The key difference between SCNT and reproductive cloning
is that stem cells for SCNT are kept in petri dishes for disease
research, while stem cells for reproductive use are transferred to a
uterus in anticipation of birth.
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT): The practice of
using a patient's own cells to repair his or her body. This involves
removing the nucleus of an unfertilized donor egg cell, replacing it
with the nucleus of a somatic (living) cell from the patient's body,
and stimulating that cell to divide to provide stem cells for
disease research.
Stem Cells: Master cells that can divide and reproduce
indefinitely to form specialized cells of tissues and organs.
Therapeutic Cloning: Another term for SCNT.