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Dolly the sheep

Dolly glossary

These are some scientific terms you might encounter when reading about Dolly.

Anaesthetic

A drug which is used to make you unconscious when you have an operation, so that you do not feel any pain.

Anti-inflammatory

Describes a drug that is used to reduce pain and swelling.

Arthritis

A serious condition in which a mammals joints become painful, swollen and stiff.

Chromosone

Any of the rod-like structures found in all living cells, containing the chemical patterns which control what an animal or plant is like.

Clone

A plant or animal which has the same genes as the original from which it was produced.

CT scan

A medical examination in which an image of the inside of the body is made using a special machine.

Culture

The scientific process of growing tissue (= cells) outside an organism in a laboratory, in a substance containing the necessary nutrients.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid: the chemical at the centre of the cells of living things, which controls the structure and purpose of each cell and carries the genetic information during reproduction

Diploid cell

A cell ontaining 30-40,000 genes and a full set of paired chromosones.

Embryo

an animal that is developing either in its mother's womb or in an egg, or a plant that is developing in a seed.

Foot and mouth

An infectious illness of cattle, sheep, pigs and goats that causes painful areas in the mouth and on the feet.

Genetic modification

Changing the structure of the genes of a living thing in order to make it healthier or stronger or more useful to humans.

Neo natal

Babies that were born recently.

Nuclear Transfer

Involves transferring the nucleus from a diploid cell to an unfertilised egg cell from which the maternal nucleus has been removed.

Sheep pulmonary ademonatosis (SPA)

A lung disease caused by a virus that induces tumours to grow in the lungs of affected animals and is incurable.

Stem Cell

Describes an animal or plant that contains one or more genes that have been added from another type of plant or animal

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