08+Plant+Cloning

Plant Cloning

Describe: Cells can be taken from the root of a plant and they have differentiated cells. They are put into an incubator in culture medium so normal adult plants could grow. Each was genetically identical to the parent plant.

Analyze: Plant cloning can have cells that are totipotent, meaning they can have mature cells that dedifferentiate and then give rise to a specialized cell type of the organism. Parts of a plant cell are taken from the root. They were then cultured in a nutrient medium. Stirring them causes the single cells to break apart into the liquid. The free cells in suspension begin dividing. An embryonic plant is developed from a single cell that was cultured. It was then cultured on agar medium. When it was bigger, it was then planted in the soil. The result was an adult plant.

Apply: Plant cloning has many uses. It is now a big thing in agriculture. Orchids are an example of a plant where cloning it can only be commercially practical means of reproducing plants. It can also be used to reproduce plants with characteristics that are rare, such as the ability to resist a plant pathogen. Cloning can be done by anyone. Most people have already used plant cloning, no one just realized it. Gardeners or anyone who works with plants may have cut a plant before, and a new one grew, practiced plant cloning.

Synthesize: Plant cloning reminds me of asexual reproduction. There is only one parent in asexual reproduction, so the genes are inherited the exact same. The only difference is plant cloning is an exact replica of the original plant. Plant cloning has the exact same genes passed between the clones.

Argue: I am for this because it brings us closer to the world of life. It also allows us to replication things faster and easier. If trees were suddenly needed somewhere, or any other plant for ways to treat diseases, the plants can be cloned and suddenly many more plants will be here to help support life. I think it would be a very good thing to be aware of.

sources: AP Biology textbook, eighth edition

Plant Cloning (it's toward the bottom of the page)