Cloning is a scientific process that creates a genetically identical copy of an organism. This can be done using various techniques, such as somatic cell nuclear transfer, where the nucleus of a donor cell is transferred into an egg cell that has had its nucleus removed. The resulting embryo can then develop into a new organism that shares the same DNA as the original. Cloning can be applied to plants, animals, and even cells. For example, Dolly the sheep was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell in 1996. Cloning is used in research, agriculture, and medicine, but it also raises ethical questions about its implications for biodiversity and animal welfare.