Hybrid Question

[TheNewGuy]

Let me get this right, meristem propagation is basically taking the plant cells from brand new growth on a plant and growing them in a petri dish, making the new plant an exact clone of the plant it came from?

[tuvoc]

Originally Posted by TheNewGuy

Let me get this right, meristem propagation is basically taking the plant cells from brand new growth on a plant and growing them in a petri dish, making the new plant an exact clone of the plant it came from?

Exactly right.

Kim

[Tindomul]

Anyone know how its done, or know of a place I can read about the technique. Thanks.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Tindomul

Anyone know how its done, or know of a place I can read about the technique. Thanks.

This is what I can remember from my classes 2 years ago. In the apexs of a plant there are a tiny group of cell called meristematic cells, less than half a millimeter in size. These are indifferentiated, and can grow into any type of cell. These are taken, in sterile conditions, and placed on a growing medium for them to develop into new plants. The big advantage of meristem propagation is that the new plants are virus free, even if the plant being cloned is infected. This seems to be because meristematic cells grow super fast. Not to sure how that works

[Dorothy]

Tindo - here is a pictorial but they don't go into explaining each step - Agbio Tech - Plant Biotechnology & Molecular Farming Company - Orchid

[Tindomul]

Well it looks easy enough. I would like to try my hand at it. Now I have to go look for a manual on how to.

[Dorothy]

Micropropagation of Orchids, 2nd Edition - Wiley::Micropropagation of Orchids, 2nd Edition
It's a bit steep in price so check your library ..

[TheNewGuy]

Wow, meristem cloning sounds much like stem cell research... oh wow... I just typed both of those words and saw stem, I guess that makes perfect sense!!!

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by TheNewGuy

Wow, meristem cloning sounds much like stem cell research... oh wow... I just typed both of those words and saw stem, I guess that makes perfect sense!!!

I don't think it would be wrong to say that meristems are the stem cells of the plant world. They are essentially identical except for the fact that one is plant and the other is animal

[tuvoc]

Sometimes it strikes me as funny, and sometimes sad, that "cloning" has become such a feared and loathed term, when we in the orchid world have been doing it for years, with no monsters to speak of, being produced. We just call it meristeming now. Oh well.

Kim