5(d) Cloning
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Biology · 4BI1
Paper 2 | Whole paper: All content including bold B statements
Producing genetically identical organisms, in plants by tissue culture and in animals by nuclear transfer.
Specification coverage
Topic 5 Use of biological resources (d) Cloning — statements 5.18–5.20B (includes bold B statements assessed on Paper 2 only)
Assessment objectives: AO1, AO2. Suggested learning time: 50 minutes.
Required knowledge
- Micropropagation of plants by tissue culture, and the conditions required
- Cloning in animals by nuclear transfer
- The advantages and disadvantages of cloning
- Bold B statements: the applications of cloning in greater depth
Required skills
- Explain why tissue culture must be carried out under sterile conditions
- Weigh the benefits and risks of animal cloning
How it is examined
- Multiple-choice and short-answer recall
- Application of the content to an unfamiliar context
- Extended open-response, marked on the quality of a connected explanation
Common mistakes
- Forgetting sterility in tissue culture. Without it, microorganisms outcompete the plant tissue.
- Saying clones are 'exactly the same'. They are genetically identical; the environment still produces differences.