Asexual Reproduction in Plants
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Transcript Asexual Reproduction in Plants
Asexual reproduction is
the formation of new
individuals from the
cell(s) of a single parent
It is very common in
plants; less so in animals
Important points about asexual reproduction in plant
Asexual reproduction in seed plants is common
Asexual plant reproduction requires only one organism
The new plants have the same genetic structure as the
parents
Seed plants use different methods of asexual reproduction
Asexual reproduction is not as complex and requires far
less energy
Organisms that are genetically identical to their parent are
known as clones
Rhizomes
Tubers
Runners
Cuttings
Bulbs
Corms
Cell Culture
Tissue Culture
Plants such as the grasses,
cattails and sedges produce
underground stems or
rhizomes
Buds produced at the
nodes develop into
branches that stay
underground or develop
into aerial shoots
If the rhizomes
subsequently dies, a new
separate plant will have
been formed
Tubers are actually
modified rhizomes
They develop when
specialized stem
branches grow down into
the ground and swell up
with starch containing
cells
Buds of the tubers will
grow into new plants
These are horizontally
growing stems that
produce few, if any,
leaves
The stems, called
runners, creep along the
ground
The runners can be cut
from the parent plant
and new plants will grow
Cuttings involve
vegetative plants that
have been removed and
rooted in soil or other
suitable material
Cuttings are made from
stems, roots or leaves
A cutting or piece of
carrot root can develop
into a new carrot if
placed over a container
of water
Onions, chives and lillies
winter in the form of a
bulb
Each bulb has a very
short stem which is
surrounded by fleshy
leaves
In the spring, the shoot
apex begins to grow
using the nutrients
stored in the leaves
This structure is similar
to bulbs except that there
are no storage leaves
The nutrients are,
instead, stored in the
swollen stem
Sometimes just one cell
can regenerate into an
entire plant
One cell from a carrot
taproot is put into a tube of
water with plant nutrients,
the one cell divides and
forms a bunch of cells
under special conditions,
roots and leaves develop,
the small carrot plant
grows into a carrot
identical to the carrot from
which the one cell came
Engineered cells of some
plants can readily be used to
regenerate entire plants under
sterile conditions
Tissue culture works when
the cell culture returns to an
undifferentiated state
The process involves placing
the engineered cells in an
environment with special
hormones and nutrients that
encourage cell growth
Eventually the tissue culture
forms leaves and roots and
finally an entire plant