Plant tissue culture 13

This Association for Science Education (ASE) publication about plant tissue culture was developed in association with Unilever plc. At the time Unilever was a major producer of consumer goods: mainly food and drinks, detergents and toilet preparations.

The booklet contained guidance for teachers and notes for students. It included activities suitable for students aged 16 to 19 (A-level work).

Teachers’ Guide
1. Industrial background
2. Educational scope
3. Notes on experiments
*Experiment 1: Production of plantlets from floral organs of cauliflower
*Experiment 2: Studies of carrot callus cultures
(a) Initiation and maintenance of carrot callus cultures
(b) Effect of sucrose concentration on growth-rate of callus cultures
(c) Embryogenesis in carrot callus cultures
(d) Cytodifferentiation in carrot callus cultures
(e) Nuclear division in callus cultures
Experiment 3: Control of organogenesis in cultures of Nicotiana tabacum
Experiment 4: Control of organogenesis in cultures of petals of Saintpaulia ionatha (African violet)
4. Appendix: Relationships to concepts and topics in A-level biology
5. Bibliography

Students’ Notes
Introduction
Aseptic handling of cultures
Experiment 1: Production of plantlets from floral organs of cauliflower
Experiment 2: Studies on carrot callus cultures
(a) Initiation and maintenance of carrot callus cultures
(b) Effect of sucrose concentration on growth-rate of callus cultures
(c) Embryogenesis in carrot callus cultures
(d) Cytodifferentiation in carrot callus cultures
(e) Nuclear division in callus cultures
Experiment 3: Control of organogenesis in cultures of Nicotiana tabacum
Experiment 4: Control of organogenesis in cultures of petals of Saintpaulia ionatha (African violet)