Clone (cell biology)

"Clonal expansion" redirects here. For clonal expansion in hematopoiesis (especially as age advances), see Clonal hematopoiesis. For clonal expansion in cancer, see Somatic evolution in cancer § Clonal expansions.
Clonal expansion and monoclonal versus polyclonal proliferation

A clone is a group of identical cells that share a common ancestry, meaning they are derived from the same cell.[1]

Clonality implies the state of a cell or a substance being derived from one source or the other. Thus there are terms like polyclonal—derived from many clones; oligoclonal[2]—derived from a few clones; and monoclonal—derived from one clone. These terms are most commonly used in context of antibodies or immunocytes.

  1. ^ "Clone definition – Medical Dictionary definitions of popular medical terms easily defined on MedTerms". MedicineNet.com. 2013-08-28. Archived from the original on 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
  2. ^ "oligoclonal – Definition from Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary". Archived from the original on 2008-03-15. Retrieved 2008-05-05.