Which of the following statements correctly describes the principle and practical applications of plant tissue culture, along with its associated limitations?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Solution: The correct answer is Tissue culture is a technique of growing plant cells, tissues, or organs aseptically on a nutrient medium under controlled environmental conditions, widely used for rapid clonal propagation, but is limited by the risk of somaclonal variation and contamination.
Explanation:
☛ Plant tissue culture is an in vitro technique where plant cells, tissues, or organs (termed explants) are grown in a sterile, nutrient-rich synthetic medium under controlled temperature and light conditions.
☛ This technique is fundamentally based on the concept of cellular totipotency, which is the inherent capacity of a plant cell to regenerate into a whole complete plant.
☛ Applications: It allows rapid multiplication of genetically identical plants (micropropagation), production of disease-free plants through meristem culture, and conservation of rare germplasms.
☛ Limitations: Key drawbacks include susceptibility to microbial contamination, high maintenance costs, and unintended genetic or epigenetic alterations known as somaclonal variations.
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ Gottlieb Haberlandt: Known as the Father of Plant Tissue Culture, who first conceptualized cellular totipotency in 1902.
☛ Callus: An unorganized, proliferating mass of actively dividing cells formed during tissue culture.
☛ Murashige and Skoog (MS) Medium: The most widely used plant tissue culture nutrient medium, formulated in 1962.
☛ Meristem Culture: Apical meristems are free from viruses due to rapid cell division and vascular absence, making them ideal for producing virus-free plants.
☛ Haploid Production: Anther or pollen culture (androgenesis) is utilized to produce haploid plants, first demonstrated by Guha and Maheshwari in Datura innoxia.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ Who is recognized as the Father of Plant Tissue Culture? → Gottlieb Haberlandt
☛ Which property enables a single plant cell to regenerate into a whole plant? → Totipotency
☛ Which plant tissue is cultured to obtain virus-free clones? → Shoot apical meristem
☛ What term describes the unorganized mass of cells formed in tissue culture? → Callus
☛ What are the genetic variations arising in plants during in vitro culture called? → Somaclonal variations