Tissue engineering involves generating tissues and organs by seeding cells onto biodegradable scaffolds and stimulating them to proliferate and generate extracellular matrix in vitro. Some key events include Harrison demonstrating active cell growth in culture in 1910, which enabled tissue engineering. Dolly the sheep was the first mammal cloned in 1996 using somatic cell nuclear transfer. Tissue engineering uses cells, scaffolds, and signaling molecules to regenerate tissues and has applications like artificial skin and organs. It offers benefits like curing diseases but also faces challenges like ensuring sterility and preventing toxicity.