Reproductive cloning is a form of artificial reproduction technique based on cloning.

In reproductive cloning, the cloned embryo is implanted in a woman's uterus. This should develop into a normal baby, its only distinction being that it would be almost genetically identical to the DNA donor. The actual cloning of the embryo involves a process called Somatic cell nuclear transfer, in which the polar body is removed from an oocyte, and its genetic information is replaced with the genetic information from a different (diploid) cell. A micropipette is used to hold the oocyte steady while a microsyringe, or needle, is used to 'drill' through the zona pellucida (the protective layer around the oocyte) and to remove the polar body and the genetic information. Then, the genetic information from a diploid cell is removed in a similar process and then inserted into the oocyte. This cell then undergoes a series of chemical reactions, sometimes involving an electrical shock, to stimulate growth and DNA replication. This process is still very quixotic and yields a healthy embryo a very small percent of the time.

See Therapeutic cloning.

A report by a parliamentary committee in the United Kingdom released in March 2005 said that opposition to reproductive cloning is based "more on taboos than coherent argument". ^*