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Why do plant cells need "artificial" food in a lab?
Because they are taken away from their natural environment like soil and air.
What provides energy to the cells in the medium?
Nutrient sugars like sucrose and glucose.
Why is agar added to the medium?
To make the medium solid and keep cells in one place.
What type of water is used to make the medium?
Distilled water.
What is added to the medium to help the cells grow and develop?
Plant hormones.
What is the most popular nutrient medium in the world?
MS (Murashige and Skoog).
What do mineral salts give to the plants?
Macro-and microelements for nutrition.
Which grow faster: microbes or plant cells?
Microbes grow much faster and can ruin the experiment.
Which hormone helps the plant grow roots?
Auxins
Which hormone helps with cell division and growing shoots?
Cytokinins
What is the correct pH level for the nutrient medium?
Around 5.6–5.8
Why is the pH level important?
It helps the cells absorb nutrients effectively.
How hot must you heat agar to prevent lumps?
90–100°C.
Which medium is best for delicate plants and cell suspensions?
B5 (Gamborg).
What two chemicals are used to clean the surface of plant tissues?
70% ethanol and sodium hypochlorite.
Why are plant tissues washed with sterile water after using chemicals?
To remove the leftover chemicals that could hurt the plant
How do you check for bacteria or fungi in the medium?
Put it in an incubator for 24–48 hours.
What are the standard conditions for autoclaving?
121°C at 1 atmosphere for 15–20 minutes.
How do you sterilize vitamins that would be destroyed by heat?
By filtration (passing liquid through a sterile filter).
What specific mix of hormones helps grow new shoots in MS medium?
0.5 mg/L BAP and 0.1 mg/L IAA.
What is "White medium" used for?
Monitoring hormone effects or special physiological conditions.
What are the three main factors for success in in vitro experiments?
Correct chemical composition, the right hormone ratio, and absolute sterility.
What is "Cell monitoring"?
Watching plant tissues for spots or breakdown to see if they are contaminated.
What is the storage temperature for Murashige and Skoog Basal Medium?
2–8°C.
What must you do if a medium or tissue is contaminated?
You must prepare them again.