Human cloning. Conceptual artwork representing human cloning by a DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) strand crossing a profile of a face (right) and a CT scan of a human head (background). Cloning is a method of producing genetically identical copies of organisms. DNA from an individual, the store of all its genetic information, is copied and used to build a complete replica of the original organism. DNA's atoms, here represented as balls and sticks, are colour-coded: carbon (white), hydrogen (light blue), phosphorus (orange), nitrogen (dark blue) and oxygen (red). The sequence of bases linking the helical strands is unique to each individual, and determines an organism's characteristics.