Commercial advantages of micropropagation?
Reveal answer
Fast, many, identical, year-round, small space.
Key words: identical
6(d) CLONING · RECALL
6.18B Commercial use of micropropagation
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Main risk of a cloned crop?
Reveal answer
No variation → disease wipes out crop.
Key words: disease
What is meant by the term genetically identical?
Reveal answer
Having exactly the same DNA.
Key words: genetically identical
What is meant by the term commercial quantities?
Reveal answer
Numbers large enough to sell profitably.
Key words: commercial quantities
Growing from seed or micropropagation: for Genetic variation, give the growing from seed and the micropropagation.
Reveal answer
Growing from seed: Offspring vary. Micropropagation: Genetically identical clones.
Key words: Genetic variation
Growing from seed or micropropagation: for Speed and number, give the growing from seed and the micropropagation.
Reveal answer
Growing from seed: Depends on seed production and season. Micropropagation: Very many plants quickly, all year.
Key words: Speed and number
Growing from seed or micropropagation: for Cost, give the growing from seed and the micropropagation.
Reveal answer
Growing from seed: Usually cheaper. Micropropagation: Expensive laboratory and skills.
Key words: Cost
True or false, and why? “Clones are always better plants.”
Reveal answer
False. They are only as good as the parent and share its weaknesses.
True or false, and why? “Clones of a parent can look different because of their genes.”
Reveal answer
False. Any differences are due to the environment, not genes.
True or false, and why? “Micropropagation creates new desirable characteristics.”
Reveal answer
False. It copies characteristics the parent already has.
Give an example of a plant produced commercially by micropropagation.
Reveal answer
Orchids, bananas or strawberries (any one).
Key words: orchids
Why is micropropagation useful for rare plants?
Reveal answer
Many plants from a tiny amount of tissue → conserves the rare parent plant.
Key words: conserves
Suggest why a grower micropropagates the plant with the best flowers rather than sowing its seeds.
Reveal answer
Seedlings vary; micropropagated plants are identical, so all have the best flowers.
Key words: identical
How can micropropagation produce virus-free plants?
Reveal answer
Explants are taken from meristems, which are often virus-free, and grown in sterile conditions.
Key words: meristems
One explant gives 10 plantlets every 6 weeks, and each plantlet is divided again. How many plants come from one explant after 12 weeks?
Reveal answer
10 × 10 = 100.
Key words: 100