What is the difference between stem cells and cloning?

Stem cells research is often confused with cloning because both areas involve the use of embryonic cells.

Both fields have got even more confused when the term therapeutic cloning was introduced as a means to produce embryonic stem cells. But reproductive cloning (the production of a whole new individual from the original cell and therapeutic.

The use of cloning for the isolation of stem cells) both use techniques involving embryo. While stem cell research involves the use of several different types of cells besides embryonic stem cells, such as adult stem cells from humans or animals or stem cells from fetuses or amniotic fluid.

Reproductive cloning is the process by which an embryo is created by nuclear transfer and implanted into a surrogate mother for bringing it to term. After the birth the clone would be the genetic copy of the adult whose nucleus is used of cloning.

The therapeutic cloning uses cloning technology to develop stem cells for research and ultimately for therapy

Whereas, stem cells are the foundation cells for every organ, tissue and cell in the body. They are like a blank microchip that can be ultimately programmed to perform any number of specialized tasks.