Question

The concept of cellular totipotency was established by which scientist?

• A. White
• B. Haberlandt
• C. Steward
• D. Muir

Answer 1

The correct option is B

Haberlandt

The correct option is B.

Explanation of the correct option:

1. When cultivated under ideal conditions of temperature and aeration in an appropriate culture medium, a single cell has the capacity to produce all different types of cells and assemble them into an entire organism.
2. This is known as cellular totipotency.
3. The concept of totipotency was put forth in 1902 by German botanist Professor Gottlieb Haberlandt.
4. He said that because each cell comes from a fertilized egg and is genetically encoded, it is capable of regenerating the entire plant body.
5. He also established that tissues, organs, and cells may be kept preserved in culture.

Explanation of the incorrect options:

Option A:

1. He was the first to demonstrate that plant tumor tissues and isolated roots can develop indefinitely.
2. He developed plant tissue culture as a technique for growing cells.
3. His revolutionary work in the 1930s and 1940s was crucial in the creation of modern plant biotechnology and biotech crops.

Option C:

1. F.E. Steward worked hard to prove cellular totipotency later in 1950.
2. His experiment demonstrates that mature (completely differentiated) cells in plants are still capable of dedifferentiating, dividing, and then coming together to generate a new plant.
3. Cellular totipotency can be seen in plant tissue from the root, stem, leaf, vegetative bud, floral bud, anther, and embryo.

Option D:

In 1953, Muir proved cellular totipotency.

Final answer: Therefore, the concept of cellular totipotency was established by Gottlieb Haberlandt.