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The Curious Case of the Carbon Copy Kitty

By Nancy M. Boury

The Curious Case of the Carbon Copy Kitty


 

Abstract

After the media coverage of Dolly the sheep and pet cloning, most students in a general biology or general genetics course will have heard of animal cloning, but it is also common for them to hold a number of misconceptions about the science of mammalian cloning, development, and genetics. This "clicker" case study combines the use of student personal response systems (clickers) with a PowerPoint presentation to help remove some of these misconceptions by presenting the story of a fictitious feline television star who is permanently incapacitated and cannot be replaced. A biotechnology company capitalizes on the need for an exact duplicate and offers to clone the original cat so that the TV viewing public "won't know the difference." Things do not go exactly as planned, however, and the television studio and biotech company end up in court. Students are asked to describe the science behind cloning as well as explain how a clone can be produced that is genetically but not phenotypically identical to the original animal.

   

Date Posted

06/05/2013

Overview

Objectives

  • Diagram the process of cloning by nuclear transfer and track the genetic contribution of each individual involved in the process.
  • Differentiate between nuclear and extranuclear inheritance.
  • Diagram the process of lyonization and its effect on coat color in cats.
  • Understand the chromosomal basis of inheritance.

Keywords

Cloning; X inactivation; lionization; epistasis; nuclear transfer; DNA fingerprinting; extranuclear inheritance

  

Subject Headings

Biology (General)
Biotechnology
Cell Biology
Genetics / Heredity

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

High school, Undergraduate lower division

  

FORMAT

PDF, PowerPoint

   

TOPICAL AREAS

N/A

   

LANGUAGE

English

   

TYPE/METHODS

Clicker, Interrupted

 

 

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