Cloning Plants

Biology: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 6.2.14

Plants can be cloned in two main ways:

Good parent plants are used by gardeners as a source of cuttings.
To take a cutting, a branch is cut off from the parent plant. Hormones are then used to encourage the roots to grow and the cutting is then planted.
Planting cuttings produce clones of the parent plant.
This allows a large number of plants with favourable characteristics to be produced quickly and cheaply.

Small groups of cells are extracted (taken) from a plant and placed in a growth medium (such as a petri dish with plant food in).
Division of these cells will eventually result in the formation of a clone of the parent plant.
The advantages of this technique are that it is quick, space-efficient and time-independent.
This technique is important for commercial use in nurseries and the preservation of rare species.

Test yourself on Cloning Plants

Plant Cuttings
A gardener cuts a branch from a parent plant and treats it with hormones before planting it as a cutting. What is the purpose of the hormones?
A florist wants to produce many genetically identical plants with favourable characteristics as quickly and cheaply as possible. Which cloning method should they use?
A commercial nursery wants to grow as many plants as possible in a small greenhouse, in the shortest time possible. Which cloning method should they use, and why?
A conservationist wants to produce clones of a rare plant species at any time of year, to help preserve it from extinction. Which cloning method should they use, and why?