Tissue Culture
What is Tissue Culture?
Tissue culture is a modern biotechnology technique used to grow new plants from a small piece of plant tissue (like a leaf, root, or stem) in a sterile, nutrient-rich environment under controlled conditions.
It is also called micropropagation and is widely used in horticulture, floriculture, and forestry for mass production of healthy, disease-free plants.
🔬 How Does Tissue Culture Work?
1. Selection of Plant (Mother Plant)
- A healthy, high-quality plant is chosen as the source.
2. Explant Collection
- A small part of the plant (explant) is taken, such as a leaf or node.
3. Sterilization
- The explant is sterilized to remove bacteria, fungi, or viruses.
4. Culture in Nutrient Medium
- The tissue is placed in a test tube or jar with a gel-like medium (containing sugar, vitamins, hormones).
5. Multiplication
- Under controlled light and temperature, the explant forms new shoots or embryos.
6. Rooting
- The shoots are transferred to rooting media to develop roots.
7. Acclimatization
- Plants are slowly adapted to outdoor conditions in a greenhouse.
8. Planting in Soil
- Fully grown, healthy plants are transferred to fields or nurseries.
🌱 Benefits of Tissue Culture
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Benefit
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Explanation
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1. Mass Production
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Produces thousands of identical, high-quality plants quickly
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2. Disease-Free Plants
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Grows clean plants from disease-free tissues
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3. Genetic Uniformity
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All plants are true-to-type (identical to the parent plant)
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4. Faster Growth
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Plants grow faster than with traditional propagation
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5. Off-Season Cultivation
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Plants can be produced year-round in labs
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6.Commercial Profitability
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Ideal for export crops, ornamental plants, and high-value varieties
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🌿 Common Crops Grown Using Tissue Culture
- Banana
- Potato
- Sugarcane
- Strawberry
- Pineapple
- Stevia
- Date palm
- Orchids and ornamental flowers