大象传媒

Cell division - AQACloning in plants

Chromosomes carry genetic information in a molecule called DNA. A type of cell division called mitosis ensures that when a cell divides each new cell produced has the same genetic information.

Part of Biology (Single Science)Cell biology

Cloning in plants

Cells from meristems can be . Meristematic cells are removed from a plant and grown in . The cells are grown in a that contains 鈥 to provide support and water for the growing cells 鈥 along with nutrients and to stimulate growth and cell division.

Plants are cloned to produce identical plants quickly and economically.

Producing new plants by cloning is quicker than allowing plants to reproduce and collecting and sowing seeds. It鈥檚 therefore an effective way of producing new individuals from rare and endangered plants, helping to preserve the species.

Diagram showing how plants can be cloned

Clones will be genetically identical to the original plant providing the meristem cells. This is useful to provide crop plants for large-scale cultivation that have desirable characteristics such as disease resistance.

Tissue culture and cloning are important in growing identical plants produced by .

Cloning in plants also occurs naturally, for instance, in in strawberry plants. An older, simpler method of cloning plants that gardeners use to produce new, identical plants is by taking .