Question

Answer in one sentence. What are soma clones?

Answer 1

Hint: Growth of cells or tissues in an artificial medium separate from the parent organism is called tissue culture. This technique is used to multiply the cells in a very short span of time.

Complete answer: The genetically identical plants produced by using vegetative parts of plants or somatic cells are called soma clones. They are produced using the technique of tissue culture. The technique of multiplying stock plant material rapidly to produce many progeny plants by using the process of tissue culture method is called micropropagation. Micropropagation is also called tissue culture. This technique helps in the production of genetically identical plants within a short span of time. The steps involved in micropropagation are as follows:
1. Selection of the mother plant.
2. Multiplication.
3. Rooting and acclimatization, and
4. Transfer new plants to the soil.
Selecting the plant material called explant which is to be propagated is the initial step of micropropagation. The plant stock free of fungi and viruses is washed with alcohol or bleach and finally washed with sterilized water. The plant tissue is allowed to grow in a medium which contains plant hormones and agar that provide support to the growing plant. Multiplication process involves using the tissues produced in the first stage and multiplying in number. During rooting and acclimatization, the plantlets grow and cause hardening. Preparing the plants to grow in a natural environment is called hardening. The final step involves the removal of plants from the growth medium and planting it in the soil.

Note: Micropropagation has many disadvantages along with advantages. Its main advantage is that it can produce plants that are cloned to each other and disease-free. The disadvantage of micropropagation is it is difficult to disinfect plants with fungal infections.