Cloning plants

1. Cloning plants Know how asexual reproduction takes place in plants. Describe some advantages and disadvantages of cloning plants. Explain how to clone plants using tissue culture. Starter: Write down 5 things you know about cloning.

2. Sexual reproduction recap • Involves 2 parents. • Introduces variation into organisms. • Uses mitosis. • Involves haploid cells.

3. Asexual reproduction • Involves _ ______. • Organisms are ___________ _________. • Uses _______. • Involves only _______ cells.

4. How do plants reproduce asexually? • Read page 46 in the text book. • Fill in the gaps on your worksheet on potatoes, strawberries and spider plants.

5. Taking a cutting

6. Taking a cutting • Put these 4 steps in order: • The end of the stem is put in plant hormone rooting powder. The hormone helps the plant to grow roots. • A polythene bag is then put over the plant to keep the moisture in. • A short stem is cut off the parent plant with a sharp knife. • The cutting is put into a pot containing sandy soil.

7. Tissue culture - fill in the gaps Tissue culture is a more _________ way of cloning plants than taking cuttings. First you select a plant with desirable _______________. Then you take lots of very _____ pieces of tissue from the parent. Using _______ technique the plants are put into sterile test tubes with growth medium. Under ideal conditions each will grow into an _________ adult plant. small characteristics efficient aseptic identical

8. Cloning plants Know how asexual reproduction takes place in plants. Describe some advantages and disadvantages of cloning plants. Explain how to clone plants using tissue culture. Plenary: You have been asked to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of tissue culture in relation to solving the country’s food shortage problems. Design a leaflet summarising your views on whether or not this is a good idea. Who is your audience? Aim to be scientific, but realistic.