Historical development of plant tissue culture traces key discoveries that transformed in vitro plant science into a tool for pharmacy and biotechnology. From Haberlandt’s concept of cellular totipotency to the practical media innovations of Murashige and Skoog, milestones include callus culture, somatic embryogenesis, micropropagation, protoplast techniques and bioreactor scale‑up. Understanding pioneers, media composition, plant growth regulators, and advances in sterile technique helps B. Pharm students appreciate how tissue culture enables production of secondary metabolites, novel drugs and germplasm conservation. This topic links core pharmacognosy, biotechnology and formulation knowledge for applied research and industry. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. Who first proposed the concept of cellular totipotency in plants?
- Gregor Mendel
- Fritz Haberlandt
- Carles Darwin
- George Washington Carver
Correct Answer: Fritz Haberlandt
Q2. Which medium is most widely used as a standard basal medium in plant tissue culture?
- Gamborg B5 medium
- Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium
- Hoagland’s solution
- Knop’s solution
Correct Answer: Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium
Q3. The balance between which two classes of plant growth regulators primarily determines organogenesis in vitro?
- Gibberellins and ethylene
- Auxins and cytokinins
- Abscisic acid and brassinosteroids
- Salicylic acid and jasmonates
Correct Answer: Auxins and cytokinins
Q4. Which scientist demonstrated regeneration of whole plants from single carrot cells, providing strong evidence for totipotency?
- Philip White
- F.C. Steward
- H.T. Hsu
- L.S. Shattuck
Correct Answer: F.C. Steward
Q5. Callus culture is best described as which of the following?
- A highly organized shoot system
- An unorganized mass of proliferating cells
- A suspension of protoplasts only
- A differentiated root system
Correct Answer: An unorganized mass of proliferating cells
Q6. Which carbon source is most commonly added to plant tissue culture media to support energy and osmotic balance?
- Glucose
- Fructose
- Sucrose
- Maltose
Correct Answer: Sucrose
Q7. Which of these auxins is widely used to induce callus and somatic embryogenesis in many species?
- Benzylaminopurine (BAP)
- Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)
- 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)
- Kinetin
Correct Answer: 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)
Q8. What is the primary purpose of agar in solid plant tissue culture media?
- Act as a carbon source
- Provide a gelling agent to solidify the medium
- Serve as an antibiotic
- Supply micronutrients
Correct Answer: Provide a gelling agent to solidify the medium
Q9. Somatic embryogenesis refers to which process?
- Formation of embryos from sexual fertilization
- Development of embryos from somatic (non‑gametic) cells
- Fusion of gametes in vitro
- Conversion of roots into shoots
Correct Answer: Development of embryos from somatic (non‑gametic) cells
Q10. Which historical advance most directly enabled large‑scale micropropagation and commercial cloning of plants?
- Development of aseptic technique and effective sterilants
- Discovery of DNA structure
- Invention of the light microscope
- Introduction of soil sterile fumigants
Correct Answer: Development of aseptic technique and effective sterilants
Q11. Which medium modification is associated with high cytokinin to auxin ratio to promote shoot proliferation?
- High auxin, low cytokinin
- Low auxin, high cytokinin
- High gibberellin concentration
- Complete absence of hormones
Correct Answer: Low auxin, high cytokinin
Q12. Protoplast culture contributed historically to which major plant biotechnology capability?
- Seed germination improvement
- Somatic hybridization and genetic recombination without sexual crossing
- Mycorrhizal association studies
- Improved soil nutrient uptake
Correct Answer: Somatic hybridization and genetic recombination without sexual crossing
Q13. Which problem, historically encountered in in vitro culture, is characterized by excess water content and translucent tissues?
- Contamination
- Vitrification (hyperhydricity)
- Etiolation
- Necrosis
Correct Answer: Vitrification (hyperhydricity)
Q14. Which of the following is a historical application of plant tissue culture in pharmaceutical production?
- Direct soil application to enhance crop yield
- In vitro production of secondary metabolites (e.g., paclitaxel)
- Development of inorganic fertilizers
- Field grafting of medicinal plants
Correct Answer: In vitro production of secondary metabolites (e.g., paclitaxel)
Q15. The MS medium is particularly noted for its concentrations of which components?
- High vitamin B content only
- Balanced macro‑ and micronutrients, especially high nitrate and ammonium salts
- High sucrose and absent inorganic salts
- Exclusive organic nitrogen sources
Correct Answer: Balanced macro‑ and micronutrients, especially high nitrate and ammonium salts
Q16. Somaclonal variation, first noted during tissue culture practices, refers to what phenomenon?
- Stable clonal propagation without variation
- Genetic and phenotypic variation arising from in vitro culture
- Contamination by bacteria and fungi
- Loss of totipotency in cultured cells
Correct Answer: Genetic and phenotypic variation arising from in vitro culture
Q17. Which sterilizing agent is commonly used historically to surface‑sterilize explants in plant tissue culture?
- Sodium hypochlorite (bleach)
- Sodium chloride
- Calcium carbonate
- Vegetable oil
Correct Answer: Sodium hypochlorite (bleach)
Q18. Which culture technique historically enabled mass suspension of plant cells for scale‑up and metabolite production?
- Solid agar plate culture
- Liquid suspension culture in flasks and bioreactors
- Soil pot culture
- Leaf disc dessication
Correct Answer: Liquid suspension culture in flasks and bioreactors
Q19. Anther culture, developed as a technique in plant tissue culture, is primarily used to obtain what?
- Somatic embryos
- Haploid and doubled‑haploid plants for breeding
- Root nodules for nitrogen fixation
- Transgenic shoots
Correct Answer: Haploid and doubled‑haploid plants for breeding
Q20. Which early researcher established nutrient solutions that supported long‑term cultured plant tissues and callus growth?
- F.C. Steward
- Philip R. White
- Robert Hooke
- Louis Pasteur
Correct Answer: Philip R. White
Q21. Synthetic seed technology in plant tissue culture historically refers to encapsulated structures containing:
- Whole plants with roots and shoots for direct field planting
- Somatic embryos or shoot buds in a protective coating for storage and handling
- Only microbial inoculants for soil application
- Dry pollen for hybridization
Correct Answer: Somatic embryos or shoot buds in a protective coating for storage and handling
Q22. Which hormone is a cytokinin commonly used to stimulate shoot proliferation in culture?
- Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)
- Benzylaminopurine (BAP)
- 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)
- Abscisic acid (ABA)
Correct Answer: Benzylaminopurine (BAP)
Q23. The historical shift from agar plates to temporary immersion bioreactors improved which aspect of plant cell culture?
- Reduced need for sterile technique entirely
- Enhanced gas exchange and reduced hyperhydricity during scale‑up
- Made hormones unnecessary
- Replaced sucrose as carbon source
Correct Answer: Enhanced gas exchange and reduced hyperhydricity during scale‑up
Q24. Which of the following is a key historical limitation of early plant tissue culture that modern methods have addressed?
- Inability to culture any plant tissues
- High contamination rates and inconsistent media formulations
- Lack of microscopes
- Absence of soil for planting
Correct Answer: High contamination rates and inconsistent media formulations
Q25. Biotechnological production of medicinal compounds via plant cell culture historically reduced dependence on which source?
- Chemical synthesis exclusively
- Wild harvesting of medicinal plants
- Animal-derived extracts
- Marine algae collection
Correct Answer: Wild harvesting of medicinal plants
Q26. Which nutrient element, often provided in MS medium, is essential for amino acid and protein synthesis in cultured tissues?
- Silicon
- Nitrogen
- Gold
- Chlorine only
Correct Answer: Nitrogen
Q27. Historical advances in plant transformation combined tissue culture with which technique to create transgenic plants?
- Agrobacterium‑mediated gene transfer and regeneration from transformed tissues
- Soil inoculation with fertilizer
- Cross‑pollination in field conditions only
- CRISPR without selection or regeneration
Correct Answer: Agrobacterium‑mediated gene transfer and regeneration from transformed tissues
Q28. In the historical context, which practice improved explant survival and reduced microbial contamination prior to culture initiation?
- Using unwashed field material directly
- Surface sterilization with agents like ethanol followed by sodium hypochlorite
- Growing explants in open air to acclimatize microbes
- Avoiding any sterilization to preserve endophytes
Correct Answer: Surface sterilization with agents like ethanol followed by sodium hypochlorite
Q29. Histologically, the first visible sign of organogenesis from a callus is usually the formation of:
- Protoplasts
- Meristematic nodules or organ primordia
- Mycorrhizal structures
- Vascular cambium only
Correct Answer: Meristematic nodules or organ primordia
Q30. Why is knowledge of the historical development of plant tissue culture important for B. Pharm students?
- It provides background for clinical drug trials only
- It links fundamental techniques to pharmaceutical production of bioactive compounds and modern bioprocessing
- It replaces the need to learn pharmacology
- It is only of historical interest with no practical relevance
Correct Answer: It links fundamental techniques to pharmaceutical production of bioactive compounds and modern bioprocessing
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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