Transgenic animals and cloned animals are both products of advanced genetic manipulation, but they differ significantly in their processes and purposes.
Transgenic animals are those that have had a foreign gene deliberately inserted into their genome. This can be done using various techniques, often involving the use of viruses or plasmids to introduce new genetic material. The goal of creating transgenic animals is generally to study disease processes, produce biological products, or improve agricultural traits. For example, a transgenic goat might be engineered to produce milk containing human proteins for medical use.
On the other hand, cloned animals are genetically identical copies of a donor animal. The most famous example of cloning is Dolly the sheep, who was created using a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). In cloning, the nucleus of a somatic cell (which contains the DNA) is transferred into an egg cell that has had its own nucleus removed. The egg is then stimulated to develop into an embryo which can be implanted into a surrogate mother. Cloning aims to replicate an organism’s genetic makeup, often for conservation purposes or to produce livestock with desired traits.
In summary, the key difference lies in the genetic alteration: transgenic animals have added genes from other species, while cloned animals are essentially duplicates of existing individuals. Both techniques have their unique applications and ethical considerations in the fields of science and agriculture.