Cloning refers to which of the following?

• A. The asexual production of a genetically identical entity from an existing one
• B. The sexual reproduction of identical twins
• C. Genetic modification to produce clones
• D. A hybridization process

Answer: (A)

Cloning means making a genetically identical copy of an organism through an asexual process. The defining idea is producing a copy that has the same DNA as the donor, without the involvement of fertilization or the genetic mixing that happens in sexual reproduction. This is why the description “the asexual production of a genetically identical entity from an existing one” best fits cloning, as illustrated by methods like somatic cell nuclear transfer that create an organism with the same genetic material as the donor. In contrast, identical twins arise when a single fertilized egg splits and is not the result of an intentional cloning technique. Genetic modification to produce clones would change the DNA, so the result wouldn’t be a true identical copy. Hybridization mixes genes from different species or varieties, not producing an exact genome copy.