Plant cloning Module 6 Flashcards
What is cloning?
The process of producing genetically identical cells or organisms from the cells of an existing organism
What’s vegetative propagation?
Is the production of plant clones from non-reproductive tissues eg.roots, leaves or stems
5 Examples of natural vegetative propagation?
Rhizomes Stolons/runners Suckers Tubers Bulbs
Rat sucks sausage to breathe
What are Rhizomes?
They are stem structures that grow horizontally underground away from parent plant. They have “nodes” from which new shoots and roots can develop
Example of a plant using Rhizomes?
Bamboo
What are stolons/runners?
Same as Rhizomes except they grow above the ground, and roots and shoots can develop on nodes and at the end of the stolon
Example of a plant which has stolons/runners?
Strawberries
What are suckers?
Shoots that grow from sucker buds (undeveloped shoots), present on the shallow roots of a parent plant
Example of a plant with suckers?
Elm trees
What are tubers?
Large underground plant structures that act as a food store for the plant, they are covered in eyes, and each eye is able to sprout and form a new plant
What plant has tubers?
Potatoes
What are bulbs?
Underground food stores
New bulbs are able to develop from the original bulb and form new individual plants
Example of plant with bulbs?
Onions
How do you produce a clone from a cutting?
Using scalpel take a cutting from end of stem from parent plant
Remove leaves from lower end of cutting
Dip lower end in rooting powder, that contains hormones that induce root formation
Plant cutting in a pot that contains growth medium
Provide cutting with warm and moist environment by putting plastic bag on it, or put in a propagator
How can you artificially clone plants using tissue culture?
Cells are taken from original plant that’s going to be cloned
Cells from stem and root tips used because they are stem cells, and can develop into any type of cell
Cells are sterilised to kill any microorganisms
Cells are placed on culture medium containing nutrients and growth hormones
Once cells have divided and grown into a small plant they are planted in soil
Will be genetically identical to the original plant
Why are stem cells sterilised to kill any microorganisms?
Because other bacteria and fungi would compete for nutrients with plant cells, decreasing their growth rate
When is tissue culture used to clone plants?
On plants that don’t readily produce
Endangered/rare plants
Grow whole plants from genetically engineered plant cells
What’s micropropagation?
When tissue culture is used to produce lots of cloned plants very quickly
Arguments for Plant cloning?
Desirable genetic characteristics always passed on
In tissue culture, plants to be reproduced in any season, and less space is required than normal planting
Produces lots of plants quickly compared to time taken to grow them with seeds
Arguments against artificial plant cloning?
Undesirable genetic characteristics always passed on
Cloned plant populations have no genetic variability so a single disease could kill them
Production costs high as high energy use and skilled workers required
Contamination of tissue culture can be very bad there is complete loss of the batch
