&CHAPTER 5

Tissue Culture: The Manipulation

of Plant Development

VINITHA CARDOZA

BASF Plant Science LLC, Durham, North Carolina

5.0. CHAPTER SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVES

5.0.1 Summary

Unique in biology, plant cells are totipotent; whole plants can be regenerated from single

nonsexual cells. As a necessary precursor to most plant transformation systems, there

must be methods established to manipulate plant tissues and cells in sterile media: tissue

culture. From tissues taken from plants, media components and hormones can be manipu-

lated to recover organs or induce somatic embryos. Tissue culture is not only a necessary

enabling technology for transgenic plant production but is also used for in vitro propagation

of valuable plants.

5.0.2 Discussion Questions

1. Differentiate between organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis.


2. Name plant growth hormones used to manipulate tissues in vitro.


3. How can you develop virus-free plants?


4. What is callus? What are the uses of callus in tissue culture methods?


5. What are protoplasts, and what are their uses?


6. How can haploid plants be produced using tissue culture? Why is this useful?

5.1 Introduction

Plant tissue culture is the in vitro (literally “under glass”) manipulation of plant cells and

tissues, which is a keystone in the foundation of plant biotechnology. It is useful for

plant propagation and the study of plant hormones, and is generally required to manipulate

and regenerate transgenic plants. Whole plants can be regenerated in vitro using tissues,

Plant Biotechnology and Genetics: Principles, Techniques, and Applications,Edited by C. Neal Stewart, Jr.

Copyright#2008 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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