Tissue Culture – Class 12 | Chapter – 9 | Biology Short Notes Series PDF

Tissue Culture: Tissue culture is a method of plant propagation that involves the growth of plant cells, tissues, or organs in a controlled environment on nutrient-rich media. This technique is used to produce large numbers of genetically identical plants, known as clones. Tissue culture can be used for various purposes, including the production of disease-free plants, the preservation of endangered plant species, and the production of new plant varieties through genetic manipulation.

Types of Tissue Culture

There are several types of tissue culture, each with different applications and methods. Some of the most common types of tissue culture include:

  • Micropropagation: This is the mass production of identical plantlets from small pieces of plant tissue, such as shoot tips or buds, using tissue culture techniques.
  • Callus culture: This type of tissue culture involves the growth of undifferentiated plant cells in a nutrient-rich medium. Callus cultures can be used to produce plant hormones or to regenerate whole plants.
  • Embryo culture: This type of tissue culture involves the growth of plant embryos in a sterile environment, which can be used to produce new plant varieties or to preserve endangered species.
  • Meristem culture: This type of tissue culture involves the growth of plant meristems, which are apical growth tips that contain undifferentiated cells with the potential to form new shoots and roots.
  • Protoplast culture: This type of tissue culture involves the growth of isolated plant cells, known as protoplasts, which are devoid of cell walls and can be used for genetic manipulation and the production of genetically modified crops.
  • Shoot tip culture: This type of tissue culture involves the growth of shoot tips in a sterile environment, which can be used to produce genetically identical plantlets for commercial purposes.

Steps of Tissue Culture

The steps of tissue culture are given below:

  • Initiation Phase: At this stage, the tissue is initiated into the culture. The tissue of interest is obtained, introduced and sterilized to prevent the process from any contamination.
  • Multiplication Phase: In this stage, the sterilized explant is introduced into the medium composed of growth regulators and appropriate nutrients. They are responsible for the multiplication of cells. This undifferentiated mass of cells is known as a callus.
  • Root Formation: The roots start forming. Plant growth hormones are added to initiate the root formation. Consequently, we obtain a complete plantlets.
  • Shoot Formation: The plant growth hormones for the formation of shoot are added and the growth is observed for a week.
  • Acclimatization: When the plant starts developing, it is transferred to the greenhouse to develop under controlled environmental conditions. It is finally transferred to the nurseries to grow under natural environmental conditions.

Advantages of Tissue Culture

Following are the various advantages of tissue culture technique:

  • The plantlets are obtained in a very short time with a small amount of plant tissue.
  • The new plants produced are disease-free.
  • The plants can be grown throughout the year, irrespective of the season.
  • A large space is not required to grow plants by tissue culture technique.
  • The production of new varieties in the market place speeds up.
  • This technique is being used for the production of ornamental plants such as dahlia, chrysanthemum, orchids, etc.

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By Team Learning Mantras