Cloning and Micropropagation in Biology

These flashcards cover key concepts related to cloning and micropropagation in biology, suitable for IGCSE Biology revision.

What is micropropagation?

Micropropagation is a process in which very small pieces of plants are grown using nutrient media in vitro.

What are explants in the context of micropropagation?

Explants are the small pieces of plant tissue scraped from the parent plant used for tissue culture.

What is the purpose of plant growth regulators in micropropagation?

These hormones encourage the callus to develop roots, stems, and leaves, forming plantlets.

List an advantage of micropropagation.

It allows for the rapid and large-scale production of genetically identical plants that are disease-free.

What is a disadvantage of micropropagation?

All produced plants are genetically identical, making them vulnerable to the same diseases.

Describe the process of embryo cloning.

Embryo cloning involves artificially fertilizing egg cells, splitting embryos before specialization, and transplanting them into host mothers.

What is adult cell cloning?

Adult cell cloning involves inserting the nucleus from an adult body cell into an unfertilized egg cell to form an embryo.

Who was Dolly the Sheep?

Dolly was the first cloned mammal, created in 1996 through adult cell cloning techniques.

What ethical concerns are associated with cloning?

There are concerns about the ethics of cloning humans and the high rate of failures, such as stillborns or severe disabilities.

What is pharming in biotechnology?

Pharming is the process of genetically modifying animals to produce useful compounds in their milk.