• Question: if you clone a 56 year old women then would the 'child' be a 'child' or be a 56 year old women. What I mean is would the child have the same immunity has a 56 year old women?

    Asked by abichohan to Davie, Gemma, James P, James V, Nuala on 29 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: James Verdon

      James Verdon answered on 29 Jun 2012:


      Hi abichohan,

      When you clone any animal, including a human, you don’t immediately get a fully adult, exact replica organism. The clone starts off as an embryo, which has to be implanted in a mother’s womb. It then develops just like any other baby and, and has to be born and grow up normally.

      All a clone is is an animal with the exact same DNA – it still has to grow and live like a normal animal.

    • Photo: James Pope

      James Pope answered on 29 Jun 2012:


      Hi abichohan,

      All I’d add to James V’s answer is that once the clone reached 56, I would expect that the clone would not be identical to how the original because as well as our genes and DNA, it’s the experiences of our lives that make us who we are!

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