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A-Level Biology OCR A

Small Sample Plant Culture Medium Hormones Cells Identical

Micropropagation involves culturing a sterilized plant tissue sample (explant) on a hormone-rich medium to produce callus, then dividing this callus and transferring it to new media to develop into plantlets, which are eventually potted.

Micropropagation involves taking a sterilized plant sample (explant), culturing it on a medium with hormones to form callus, dividing the callus, and transferring it to a new medium to develop plantlets, which are then potted.

Front Describe the process of micropropagation.
Back Micropropagation:
  • Take small sample from plant (meristem tissue from shoot tips and axial buds dissected under sterlie conditions - usually virus free) 
  • Sterilise sample (bleach, ethanol or sodium dichloroisocyanurate)
  • Explant is placed in sterile culture medium containing balance of plant hormones that stimulate mitosis
  • Cells proliferate, forming a mass of identical cells - callus
  • Callus is divided up and individual cells/clumps are transfererd to new culture medium containing a diff mixture of hormones and nutrients, stimulating development of tiny genetically identical plantlets
  • Plantlets are potted into compost where they grow into small plants
  • Young plants are planted out to grow and produce a crop

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