Question

Importance of totipotency in plant tissue culture

Answer 1

Totipotency is the genetic ability of a cell, from which a whole organism can be created. Primitive cells of any organism's life, like during the early embryonic stages are totipotent. They have the ability to develop into any type of organ. It is after sometime that, various totipotent cells become specific and hence determined to become certain type of cell and particular organ. In plants totipotency is not lost even after growth and development of the individual.
Totipotency is the basis of tissue culture. Cells from growing root tips or shoot tips or any other growing part can be grown in nutrient medium under sterilised condition. After these cells divides and grows into a mass of tissue called callus.Now several minerals, vitamins and plant growth regulators are applied to callus and as per requirement of agriculture plants are grown from that.