Team of Scientists Successfully Clones Two Monkeys

Category: Science/Environment

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. clone / kloʊn / (v) – to produce a copy of an animal or a plant
    Example:

    Scientists were able to clone a sheep.


  2. primate / ˈpraɪ meɪt / (n) – any member of a mammal group that includes humans, monkeys, and apes
    Example:

    Primates like monkeys are sometimes used in experiments.


  3. supplant / səˈplænt / (v) – to replace
    Example:

    The doctors supplanted the old blood samples with new ones.


  4. surrogate mother / ˈsɜr əˌgeɪt ˈmʌð ər / (n) – a female animal or person who carries the offspring of another animal or person
    Example:

    The embryo was put into a surrogate mother.


  5. genetically / dʒəˈnɛt ɪk ə li / (adv) – in relation to genes or genetics
    Example:

    Diseases like diabetes and cancer can be transmitted genetically.


Article

Read the text below.

Chinese scientists have successfully cloned two monkeys using a procedure that previously failed to produce primates.


Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Neuroscience (ION) in Shanghai, China recently produced two female monkeys through cloning. The scientists named the monkeys Hua Hua and Zhong Zhong. Although they are not the first monkey clones to be produced, they are the first ones to be produced using a cloning procedure called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).


In order to produce a clone through the SCNT, scientists took out the nucleus from an unfertilized egg and supplanted it with the nucleus from another cell. The egg with the new nucleus then developed into an embryo, which was placed into a surrogate mother.


To increase the likelihood of success, the ION scientists used new technology that made the nucleus transfer faster. They also used cells from fetuses after learning that clones made from such cells survived longer than clones made from adult cells. Using the improved procedure, the scientists were able to develop 79 genetically similar embryos that were implanted in 21 female monkey surrogates. The procedure produced six pregnancies with two successful births.


Primates are not the only animals to be cloned. In 2005, South Korean scientists made the clone of an Afghan hound, which was named Snuppy. In 2017, scientists made three clones with cells taken from Snuppy. The second-generation dog clones remain healthy and are still being studied by scientists today.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you approve of cloning? Why or why not?
• Do you think cloning humans could be possible in the future? Why or why not?

Discussion B

• Aside from cloning, what other procedures (e.g. developing treatments, genetic modification, etc.) should scientists research on? Discuss.
• If you were to conduct an experiment, what would it be about? Explain in detail.