Question

A gene bank is a place where valuable plant material is preserved in viable condition. Gene banks are parts of

• A. In-situ conservation
• B. Ex-situ conservation
• C. Both A and B
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is B Ex-situ conservation

Gene banks are a type of biorepository which preserve genetic material. For plants, this could be by freezing cuttings from the plant or stocking the seeds (e.g., in a seedbank). For animals, this is the freezing of sperm and eggs in zoological freezers until further need. With corals, fragments are taken which are stored in water tanks under controlled conditions. Plant genetic material in a 'gene bank' is preserved at -196 celsius in liquid nitrogen as mature seed dry. In plants, it is possible to unfreeze the material and propagate it, however, in animals, a living female is required for artificial insemination. While it is often difficult to utilize frozen animal sperm and eggs, there are many examples of it being done successfully. Ex-situ conservation of plant genetic resources can be achieved through different methods such as seed banks, field gene banks, in-vitro storage methods, pollen banks and DNA banks. Thus, the correct answer is option B.