5.17 Describe the process of micropropagation (tissue culture) in which small
pieces of plants (explants) are grown in vitro using nutrient media.
- Plant clippings are taken and placed in a sterile growth medium.
- Roots will develop from the clipping (and shoots) making a whole new plant.
- The plant will then be transferred into compost and grown as a normal plant.
- The plant is a clone of the one is was taken from because it has the same DNA.
- This means that there will be no variation, so you can have the same plant every time.
5.18 Understand how micropropagation can be used to produce commercial
quantities of identical plants (clones) with desirable characteristics.
- In micropropagation, plant clippings are taken and put in a growth medium.
- They will develop into a new plant with the same DNA.
- This means that every plant made from the clippings of one plant will be clones with exactly the same characteristics.
- If many clippings are taken then you will have many clones.
5.19 Describe the stages in the production of cloned mammals involving the
introduction of a diploid nucleus from a mature cell into an enucleated egg cell, illustrated by Dolly the sheep
An egg cell with the nucleus removed has the DNA of another cell put in (the cell will have a complete set of chromosomes).
The embryo that forms will then have DNA from only one parent (the one the DNA was taken from). This means it will be an exact clone. For example dolly the sheep. This process can also be used to gain the "Embryonic stem cells" from a person. |