Question

Which of the following statements is true with respect to plant tissue culture?

• A. Only plant parts can be generated by tissue culture
• B. Only liquid culture media is used for the growth of an explant
• C. It is the technique of growing explants in a sterile culture medium
• D. Only growth hormones are required in the tissue culture medium for growth

Answer 1

The correct option is C It is the technique of growing explants in a sterile culture medium

Tissue culture is the technique of growing explants (plant cells, tissues or organs) in a sterile culture medium under controlled environmental conditions. So option c is correct.

Tissue culture was started by Gottlieb Haberlandt in 1902, when he tried to culture a single cell isolated from the leaf mesophyll.

In 1957, Steward, proved that due to the totipotent nature of plant cells, an entire plant can be created by tissue culture technique. Totipotency refers to the ability of a cell to divide and differentiate into any cell type to give rise to an entire organism. So option a is incorrect

The culture medium that is used to grow the explant in tissue culture should be prepared carefully and sterilised. It should contain -

• Inorganic salts - To provide the necessary micro and macronutrients.
• Organic nutrients - Sucrose/glucose/fructose as carbon source, necessary amino acids and vitamins.
• Growth hormones - Auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins for differentiation of tissues.
• Water - To dissolve all the nutrients.

So option d is incorrect.

Based on the nature of the culture media used in tissue culture, it can be a suspension (liquid) culture or a callus (solid) culture. In a callus culture, agar agar is added to the culture media to solidify it. So option b is incorrect.