Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) technology is primarily used for the purpose of reproductive cloning of animals. SCNT can be used to create genetically identical copies of animals. This involves transferring the nucleus of a somatic (body) cell into an egg cell that has had its own nucleus removed. The egg cell is then stimulated to divide and develop into an embryo, which is then implanted into a surrogate mother to produce a cloned individual. This technique is called reproductive cloning.