Cloning is a type of asexual reproduction performed in a laboratory that produces identical individuals from a cell or from a cluster of cells taken from a multicellular organism. Scientists have been able to clone many animals with the chromosomes from one parent.

Introduction:
Cloning is the process of producing genetically identical copies of an organism. It can occur naturally or can be artificially induced. Clones are organisms that are genetically identical to each other.

Explanation:
Clones are asexually produced identical organisms. This means that they are created without the involvement of sexual reproduction and are exact genetic replicas of the original organism.

Types of Cloning:
There are two main types of cloning: natural cloning and artificial cloning.

1. Natural Cloning:
- Natural cloning occurs in some organisms through a process called asexual reproduction.
- Asexual reproduction involves the production of offspring without the involvement of gametes (sex cells) or fertilization.
- Examples of natural cloning include binary fission in bacteria, budding in yeast, and vegetative propagation in plants.
- In these cases, the offspring are genetically identical to the parent organism, forming a clone.

2. Artificial Cloning:
- Artificial cloning is a process that is carried out by humans in a laboratory setting.
- It involves the isolation and manipulation of genetic material to create genetically identical copies of an organism.
- One method of artificial cloning is somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), which involves transferring the nucleus of a somatic cell into an enucleated egg cell.
- This process was famously used to clone the sheep named Dolly in 1996, which was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell.
- Artificial cloning can also be done by other methods such as embryo splitting or tissue culture.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, clones are asexually produced identical organisms. They can occur naturally through asexual reproduction or can be artificially created using techniques such as somatic cell nuclear transfer. Cloning has various applications in scientific research, agriculture, and medicine.

Asexually produces identical organism