Define the term tissue culture.
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Define the term tissue culture.
Tissue culture, also known as micropropagation, is the process of growing small pieces of plants ('tissue') in vitro using nutrient media outside a living organism.
True or False?
Tissue culture involves growing large pieces of plants.
False.
Tissue culture involves growing very small pieces of plants using nutrient media in petri dishes.
What is the term for cells scraped from the parent plant for tissue culture?
The cells scraped from the parent plant for tissue culture are known as explants.
Describe the sterilisation process for explants in tissue culture.
The surface of explants is sterilised using a disinfectant and rinsed with sterile water to ensure aseptic conditions.
What is the purpose of nutrient agar in tissue culture?
Nutrient agar provides a growth medium for explant cells to grow and divide, facilitating the tissue culture process.
What is a callus in tissue culture?
A callus is a mass of cells formed from explants on nutrient agar in tissue culture, from which plantlets develop.
What triggers the development of roots, stems, and leaves in tissue culture?
Plant growth regulators, such as hormones, present in the growth medium, induce the development of roots, stems, and leaves.
True or False?
Plantlets developed in tissue culture are directly transferred to individual pots.
True.
Plantlets developed in tissue culture can be transferred to individual potting trays to further develop into plants.
Define the term 'in vitro'.
'In vitro' refers to a process conducted outside a living organism, such as tissue culture conducted in petri dishes on nutrient agar.
Define the word clone.
A clone is a genetically identical copy of an organism.
These can be produced through asexual reproduction, micropropagation techniques, or somatic cell nuclear transfer.
True or False?
Clones produced through micropropagation are genetically diverse.
False.
Clones produced through micropropagation are genetically identical individuals.
State an advantage of micropropagation.
Micropropagation allows the production of plants with desirable characteristics cheaply, quickly, and at any time of the year.
What is a potential benefit of micropropagation in terms of disease resistance?
Micropropagation allows for the breeding of disease-free or resistant plants, reducing the spread of diseases and ensuring native plant varieties are produced in large quantities.
True or False?
Micropropagation requires a sterile laboratory and trained personnel.
True.
Micropropagation requires a sterile laboratory environment and trained personnel to prevent contamination and ensure successful plant growth. This is a disadvantage because it limits access to this process.
Describe one disadvantage of micropropagation in terms of genetic diversity.
All plants produced through micropropagation are genetically identical, limiting their ability to adapt to environmental changes and making them vulnerable to the same diseases and pests.
What role does micropropagation play in preserving rare plant species?
Micropropagation can be essential in preserving rare plant species by allowing for the mass production of genetically identical plants, ensuring their conservation and propagation.
True or False?
Mammal cloning involves the removal of the nucleus from an egg cell.
True.
The nucleus is removed from an egg cell and replaced with the nucleus from a body cell.
Define the term enucleated cell.
An enucleated cell is a cell which has had the nucleus removed. In the mammal cloning process, the egg cell from a donor organism will have the haploid nucleus removed and replaced with a diploid nucleus from the body cell of the organism to be cloned.
Define the term adult cell cloning.
Adult cell cloning is a reproductive cloning technique that involves replacing the nucleus of an egg cell with the nucleus of an adult somatic cell to create an embryo with identical DNA.
True or False?
Adult cell cloning involves fertilising egg cells with sperm cells.
False.
Adult cell cloning involves removing the nucleus from an egg cell and inserting the nucleus of an adult body cell to create an embryo.
Describe the process of adult cell cloning.
Adult cell cloning involves removing the nucleus from an egg cell, inserting the nucleus of an adult body cell, stimulating cell division, and implanting the embryo into a surrogate mother.
What was the name of the first cloned mammal?
The first cloned mammal was named Dolly.
What is a surrogate mother in the context of cloning?
In cloning, a surrogate mother is an adult female animal into whose womb an embryo is inserted to continue its development until birth.
State one benefit of adult cell cloning technology.
Adult cell cloning technology allows for the production of genetically identical organisms, which can be beneficial for scientific research and the preservation of endangered species.
Define the term transgenic animal.
A transgenic animal is an organism that has been genetically modified to contain one or more genes from another species, resulting in the expression of new traits or the production of desired compounds.
State one application of using genetically modifying animals to produce pharmaceutical substances.
Genetically modifying animals can be used to produce produce antibodies for targeting cancer cells, blood clotting factor IX for treating haemophilia, and alpha-1-antitrypsin for cystic fibrosis patients.
State one benefit of using genetically modifying animals to produce pharmaceutical substances.
One benefit of using genetically modifying animals to produce pharmaceutical substances is the ability to produce large quantities of pharmaceutical substances in animals, providing a potentially more efficient and cost-effective method of production.