Natural cloning in plants

Question 1

What is asexual reproduction>

Answer 1

• form of cloning
• offspring produced by mitosis known as clones
• usually genetically identical to both the parent organism and to each other

Question 2

What is vegatative propagation?

Answer 2

• aka natural cloning
• occurs in many flowering plants
• a structure froms which develops into a fully differentiated plant, which is genetically identical parent

Question 3

Where is the plant propagated from?

Answer 3

• anywhere, depending on plant

Question 4

How does vegatative propagation enable some organisms to survive?

Answer 4

• often involves use of perennating organs, which enables to plant to survive through adverse conditions
• store food from photosynthesis
• can remain dormant in the soil until the next growing season

Question 5

name 2 examples of vegatative propagation?

Answer 5

• runner
  
  • later stem grows away from parent plant and root grow
  • runner eventually withers away leaving the new individual independant
  • e.g. strawberry
• bulb
  
  • e.g. dafodill
  • leaf bases swell with stored food from photosyntehsis
  • buds form internally which develop into new shoots and new plants in the next growing season
  • undeground food stores

Question 6

What are cuttings?

Answer 6

• short section of stem taken and planted in growund or pots
• rooting hormone often applied to the base of a cutting to encourage the growth of new roots

Question 7

Why are cutting used over seeds?

Answer 7

• faster
  
  • time from planting to cropping is reduced
• cloning garuntees the quality of the plant
  
  • taken from good stock

Question 8

WHat is the disadvantage of cloning?

Answer 8

• lack of genetic variation should a new disease or pest appear or climate change occurs

Question 9

how do you produce a clone from a cluttign

Answer 9

• scalpel, remove 5cm long cutting from the end of the stem of the parent plant
• remove leaves from lower end, leaving just one at tip
• dip the lower end of the cutting in rooting powder
  
  • contain hormones for root formation
• plant cutting in a pot containing a sutable growth medium, e.g well drained compost
• provide cutting with warm, moist environment, plac ein propigator
• when cuttign has formed its roots and is strong enough, plant somewhere else