Kachana

Does a cheek cell contain all the necessary information such that, with advanced enough technology, a whole human could besult from one? Or are embryo cells needed?

Any links on this would be much appreciated!

pz

No. An epithelial cell is lacking the essential arrangment of membrane and cytoplasmic structures, the appropriate pattern of gene activation in its nucleus, and the supply of nutrients needed to support early development.
Yes. At least one.
No links, sorry -- any modern development text will explain this. All the cloning techniques for vertebrates require remove the nucleus from an egg cell and transplanting the nucleus from the donor cell (or fusing the donor cell with the egg) as some of the first steps.

Godless Dave

But would the nucleus from a cheek cell, insterted into an egg cell in place of its nucleus, work? Or does the donor nucleus have to come from a certain kind of cell?

Aspiring sci fi writers want to know!

Utnapishtim

The DNA from a cheek cell could be used, as it contains all the necessary information. I believe most of the cloning done so far from animals has used DNA from somatic cells and inserted it into the nucleus of an ovum. I would assume that you would need to use the nucleus of the ovum, but I am no expert in the field. If the egg cell's nucleus is specialized for the development of the embryo, then you probably couldn't use the cheek cell nucleus, as it would lack that specialization. Check back with me in a few years when I will have my bio degree; maybe I know for sure by then

MyKell

Yes, the cheek cell, in theory, has all the information necessary for a whole human to develop. People often fuse a somatic cell nucleus with a cytoplasm of an ovum. The nucleus of the ovum does not have the necessary information for generation of a whole animal. No links, this is from the top of my head

tronvillain

As has been pointed out, a cheek cell has all of the information necessary to create a clone, at least if we assume that the "advanced technology" can make the necessary modifications to the DNA.

pz

I'm pretty sure I pointed out exactly the opposite: an epithelial cell does not contain sufficient information. An epithelial cell nucleus + the cytoplasm/membranes of an ovum does.

Jesse

pz:
an epithelial cell does not contain sufficient information. An epithelial cell nucleus + the cytoplasm/membranes of an ovum does.

The ovum might not necessarily have to be human, though. And strictly speaking, wouldn't the chemical environment of the uterus where the fertilized ovum develops be a necessary component of the "information" needed to clone a human? If the details of this environment were lost forever, future nonhuman scientists might not be able to reconstruct a human, even if they had a supply of frozen human egg cells. But perhaps the uterus of a related mammal would be close enough, just as the ovum of another mammal might be close enough for implanting the DNA.

tronvillain

pz:
Ah, but I am assuming that part of the "advanced technology" is general information about the required states and relevant structures. The specific information required for cloning is present in the epithelial cell, and the information inherent in the cloning process of an "advanced technology" provides the rest.

Risiko

Wasn't Dolly the Sheep cloned by taking DNA from her "mother"'s udder and inserting it into an empty ovum?