Module: | Embryo, Seed, Fruit & Apomixis
Q99: Consider the following statements regarding the production of artificial seeds:
1. Artificial seeds are produced in vitro by encapsulating somatic embryos or shoot buds inside a protective hydrogel matrix.
2. Sodium alginate is the most common chemical utilized to form this artificial, protective outer capsule.
3. Because artificial seeds are produced without fertilization, the resulting plants undergo massive genetic recombination, generating highly varied hybrid offspring.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
2. Sodium alginate is the most common chemical utilized to form this artificial, protective outer capsule.
3. Because artificial seeds are produced without fertilization, the resulting plants undergo massive genetic recombination, generating highly varied hybrid offspring.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
✅ Correct Answer: A
The correct option is A. Statements 1 and 2 are correct, whereas Statement 3 is a direct genetic contradiction.
Artificial seeds (or synseeds) represent a major leap in agricultural biotechnology.
Instead of relying on sexual reproduction, scientists utilize tissue culture to generate somatic embryos (embryos derived from standard diploid body cells, not gametes). To mimic the protective seed coat and endosperm of a natural seed, these microscopic somatic embryos are dropped into a solution of sodium alginate, which cross-links with calcium to form a tough, jelly-like encapsulation matrix containing artificial nutrients and growth regulators.
Statement 3 is completely false.
Because somatic embryos are generated via mitosis from a single parent plant, absolutely no meiosis or gamete fusion occurs.
Therefore, there is zero genetic recombination; every artificial seed produced in a batch will grow into an obligate, genetically identical clone of the original parent plant.
Artificial seeds (or synseeds) represent a major leap in agricultural biotechnology.
Instead of relying on sexual reproduction, scientists utilize tissue culture to generate somatic embryos (embryos derived from standard diploid body cells, not gametes). To mimic the protective seed coat and endosperm of a natural seed, these microscopic somatic embryos are dropped into a solution of sodium alginate, which cross-links with calcium to form a tough, jelly-like encapsulation matrix containing artificial nutrients and growth regulators.
Statement 3 is completely false.
Because somatic embryos are generated via mitosis from a single parent plant, absolutely no meiosis or gamete fusion occurs.
Therefore, there is zero genetic recombination; every artificial seed produced in a batch will grow into an obligate, genetically identical clone of the original parent plant.