Question

Write the meaning of the following terms:
1.Explant
2.Totipotency
3.Somaclones

Answer 1

Hint: These are the terms used in the biotechnological process of growing plants called plant tissue culture.

Complete step by step answer:
1.Explant
-It is the part of the plant which is used for the culture of the plants.
- It can be any part of the plant.
-Both vegetative and reproductive parts of the plant can be used for the culture of new plants.
-Explant is cut into small pieces and has to undergo a series of sterilization processes to obtain a contamination free culture of plants.
2.Totipotency
-It is the ability of a single cell to multiply, grow and differentiate into a whole organism.
-A single cell can divide into numerous cells which are undifferentiated called callus. But when the same cells attain the property of differentiation and develop into a new organ or a new plant itself, that ability of the cell is termed as totipotency.
3.Somaclones
-Somaclones are the plants produced from a somatic cell.
-These plants will be identical in their morphological and genetic makeup.
-All the plants developed from a somatic cell in a plant will be identical in all aspects therefore called clones.

Note:
Tissue culture is a technique where a large number of clones of a plant are developed from a single cell. The material used to obtain the plants in a culture is called the explant. This process proves that all the cells in a plant body are totipotent and will be able to produce the whole plant from any cell. The plants produced by these methods are all clones.