Understanding the Basics of Plant Tissue Culture
1. Plant tissue culture is a collection of techniques used to maintain or grow plant cells, tissues, or organs under sterile conditions on a nutrient culture medium of known composition.
2. It is widely used to produce clones of a plant in a method known as micropropagation. This technique has many applications in areas such as plant propagation, disease elimination, plant breeding, and the production of secondary metabolites.
3. A plant tissue culture laboratory typically requires several basic facilities including a media preparation area, culture room, sterilization area, and observation/analysis area.
4. The main equipment needed includes laminar flow hoods, autoclaves, incubators, and microscopes. Proper aseptic techniques are crucial throughout all procedures.
5. Plant tissue culture offers advantages such as rapid multiplication of plants, production of disease-free plants, conservation of endangered species, and genetic modification possibilities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)