Question

11. Why do cloned cats look different? (one word answer – 2 points)

Answer 1

Answer 11: One-word answer would be due to Coat colour.

As the orange coloured gene present on the cats are mostly indifferent in nature. This can be explained by the X-inactivation phenomena. There can be genes that may be activated in some cases and possibly in activated in others or can be randomly activated that may form certain patches or clusters that can appear on body of cloned cat (on skin cells).

The activated genes may produce fur of orange colour while inactivated one’s can show black coloured fur.

Possibly, in the case of cloned cat i.e. CC, (“Copy Cat" or "Carbon Copy"), surrogate mother for first cloned cat was chosen a tabby and her genetic donor chosen was Rainbow who was a calico pet with shorthair. In the case of CC i.e. the cloned cat the orange colour might got inactivated for all skin cells therefore, the outcome as an offspring was cat with no orange coat on fur.

The other possibility for coat colour variation can be due to the melanocytes might have migrated across the skin and nay have resulted in white patterns that appeared on CC. It can be a random process that may have taken place during foetal growth and development.