Question

Transgenic plants are produced by

• A. growing a new plant from meristem of an older plant
• B. micropropagation of existing plants
• C. developing a new plant from a cell containing foreign DNA
• D. selecting somaclonal variants

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

developing a new plant from a cell containing foreign DNA

Answer 2

The plants produced through genetic engineering contain genes usually from an unrelated organism. Such genes are called transgenes and the plants having transgenes are called transgenic plants. The vector used to introduce new genes into plant cell is Ti plasmid from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A part of Ti plasmid, the T-DNA is transferred into plant cell DNA. Such recombinant cells are cultured to form plantlets. When transferred into soil, the plantlets grow into mature plants, carrying the foreign gene, expressed throughout the new plant.