Plant tissue culture provides in vitro methods widely used in pharmacognosy to produce, modify, and standardize plant-derived drugs. Key applications include micropropagation, callus and cell suspension cultures, hairy root systems, and synthetic seeds for germplasm conservation and sustainable biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. These techniques support drug discovery, metabolite enhancement via elicitation, genetic improvement, and quality control of herbal products. B.Pharm students should learn protocols, sterile technique, growth regulator roles, bioreactor scale-up, and analytical evaluation (HPLC, LC-MS) to translate lab-scale cultures into reliable phytopharmaceuticals. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. Which application of plant tissue culture is most useful for consistent, controlled production of secondary metabolites used in pharmacognosy?
- Micropropagation of whole plants
- Callus and cell suspension culture
- Seed propagation in greenhouses
- Field cultivation under variable conditions
Correct Answer: Callus and cell suspension culture
Q2. Which culture type is preferred for large-scale, homogeneous production and easy scale-up in bioreactors?
- Callus culture on solid medium
- Cell suspension culture
- Shoot tip culture
- Protoplast culture
Correct Answer: Cell suspension culture
Q3. Hairy root cultures, valuable for root-specific metabolite production, are induced by which organism?
- Agrobacterium tumefaciens
- Rhizobium leguminosarum
- Agrobacterium rhizogenes
- Escherichia coli
Correct Answer: Agrobacterium rhizogenes
Q4. What is the main purpose of elicitation in plant tissue culture for pharmacognosy?
- To sterilize explants
- To enhance secondary metabolite production
- To promote shoot multiplication
- To induce somatic embryos
Correct Answer: To enhance secondary metabolite production
Q5. Synthetic seeds are primarily used in pharmacognosy-related tissue culture for which application?
- Large-scale chemical synthesis of drugs
- Germplasm conservation and vegetative propagation
- Direct extraction of metabolites
- Field fertilization techniques
Correct Answer: Germplasm conservation and vegetative propagation
Q6. What are the standard stages of micropropagation relevant to producing medicinal plants?
- Pollination, seed set, harvesting
- Initiation, multiplication, rooting, acclimatization
- Callus induction, photosynthesis, flowering
- Hybridization, selection, commercialization
Correct Answer: Initiation, multiplication, rooting, acclimatization
Q7. Which class of plant growth regulators is typically used to induce shoot proliferation in tissue culture?
- Auxins (e.g., IBA)
- Cytokinins (e.g., BAP)
- Gibberellins (e.g., GA3)
- Abscisic acid (ABA)
Correct Answer: Cytokinins (e.g., BAP)
Q8. Which auxin is commonly preferred for rooting in micropropagation of medicinal plants?
- 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)
- Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA)
- Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)
- Cytokinin zeatin
Correct Answer: Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)
Q9. Which surface sterilant is widely used in plant tissue culture for explant disinfection because of safety and availability?
- Mercuric chloride (HgCl2)
- Sodium hypochlorite (bleach)
- Formaldehyde gas
- Phenol solution
Correct Answer: Sodium hypochlorite (bleach)
Q10. Somaclonal variation in tissue-cultured plants can be exploited in pharmacognosy for what purpose?
- To guarantee genetic uniformity of all clones
- To generate genetic variability for selection of desirable traits
- To prevent any change in metabolite profiles
- To automatically produce transgenic plants
Correct Answer: To generate genetic variability for selection of desirable traits
Q11. Which type of bioreactor configuration is generally suitable for plant cell suspension cultures producing secondary metabolites?
- Stirred tank bioreactor with low shear
- Fixed-bed bioreactor for whole plants
- Photobioreactor for algae only
- High-shear homogenizer
Correct Answer: Stirred tank bioreactor with low shear
Q12. What best describes a callus in plant tissue culture?
- A differentiated shoot system
- An undifferentiated mass of proliferating cells
- A fungal contaminant
- A mature seedling
Correct Answer: An undifferentiated mass of proliferating cells
Q13. For producing root-specific alkaloids in vitro, which culture system is often most effective?
- Shoot tip culture
- Leaf disc culture
- Hairy root culture
- Protoplast suspension
Correct Answer: Hairy root culture
Q14. In pharmacognosy, plant tissue culture contributes to quality control by enabling which of the following?
- Field variability of metabolite content
- Standardized production of uniform biomass with reproducible phytochemical profiles
- Random selection of wild plants
- Elimination of chemical analysis
Correct Answer: Standardized production of uniform biomass with reproducible phytochemical profiles
Q15. Which Agrobacterium species is commonly used to introduce T-DNA for stable genetic transformation of plant cells?
- Agrobacterium rhizogenes
- Agrobacterium tumefaciens
- Rhizobium radiobacter
- Pseudomonas putida
Correct Answer: Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Q16. What does a synthetic seed typically contain when used for propagation and conservation?
- Encapsulated somatic embryo or shoot bud
- Only dried field seeds
- Free protoplasts in solution
- Pure secondary metabolites in gel
Correct Answer: Encapsulated somatic embryo or shoot bud
Q17. Protoplast culture is particularly useful in pharmacognosy research for which application?
- Direct micropropagation without selection
- Somatic hybridization to combine genomes from different species
- Standard seed multiplication
- Simple field planting
Correct Answer: Somatic hybridization to combine genomes from different species
Q18. Which method is most appropriate for long-term germplasm conservation of valuable medicinal plant lines?
- Continuous in vitro subculturing every month
- Cryopreservation of shoot tips or embryos
- Storage at room temperature in agar
- Planting in open field collections only
Correct Answer: Cryopreservation of shoot tips or embryos
Q19. Which analytical technique is widely used to quantify secondary metabolites produced in tissue cultures?
- HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography)
- Light microscopy
- Gel electrophoresis
- Rotary evaporation
Correct Answer: HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography)
Q20. What is the most critical practice to prevent contamination in plant tissue culture labs?
- Random open-air handling of cultures
- Aseptic technique and sterile working environment
- Using non-sterile tools to test robustness
- Keeping cultures at outdoor temperatures
Correct Answer: Aseptic technique and sterile working environment
Q21. Elicitors used to boost secondary metabolite synthesis are classified into which main categories?
- Organic and inorganic
- Biotic and abiotic
- Cytokinetic and auxinic
- Volatile and non-volatile only
Correct Answer: Biotic and abiotic
Q22. Which compound is an example of a commonly used chemical elicitor in plant tissue culture studies?
- Methyl jasmonate
- Sodium chloride at field doses
- Silver nitrate for rooting
- Glucose as a carbon source
Correct Answer: Methyl jasmonate
Q23. How does plant tissue culture accelerate drug discovery in pharmacognosy?
- By eliminating the need for chemical assays
- By enabling rapid screening of cell lines for bioactive compound production under controlled conditions
- By replacing clinical trials
- By producing synthetic chemical analogs only
Correct Answer: By enabling rapid screening of cell lines for bioactive compound production under controlled conditions
Q24. Which is an advantage of cell suspension culture over solid callus culture for metabolite extraction?
- Heterogeneous cell aggregates that are hard to process
- Homogeneous liquid culture allowing easier extraction and scale-up
- Greater need for manual handling of individual explants
- Inability to monitor nutrient consumption
Correct Answer: Homogeneous liquid culture allowing easier extraction and scale-up
Q25. The most common contaminants encountered in plant tissue culture are:
- Viruses only
- Fungi and bacteria
- Heavy metals
- Plant hormones
Correct Answer: Fungi and bacteria
Q26. Genetic transformation of plant cell cultures can be used in pharmacognosy primarily to:
- Reduce metabolite production
- Introduce biosynthetic genes to enhance or produce novel compounds
- Prevent any secondary metabolism
- Make plants more susceptible to pathogens
Correct Answer: Introduce biosynthetic genes to enhance or produce novel compounds
Q27. A key limitation of plant tissue culture for producing phytopharmaceuticals is:
- Guaranteed identical metabolite profiles across all cultures
- Somaclonal variation and potential genetic instability
- Inability to manipulate culture medium composition
- Absolute elimination of contamination risks
Correct Answer: Somaclonal variation and potential genetic instability
Q28. Shoot tip culture is an organ culture method especially useful for producing:
- Virus-free planting material
- Large roots for extraction
- Bulk seed stocks
- Protoplast-derived hybrids
Correct Answer: Virus-free planting material
Q29. In genetic transformation experiments, selectable marker genes commonly confer resistance to what?
- Herbivores
- Antibiotics such as kanamycin or hygromycin
- High temperatures only
- Ultraviolet light
Correct Answer: Antibiotics such as kanamycin or hygromycin
Q30. From a regulatory perspective in pharmacognosy, a major concern for plant tissue culture–derived products is:
- Lack of need for analytical validation
- Standardization and reproducibility of phytochemical composition
- Excessive natural variability making standardization unnecessary
- Irrelevance of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
Correct Answer: Standardization and reproducibility of phytochemical composition
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
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