Plant tissue culture is a vital biotechnology tool for B.Pharm students, linking in vitro techniques to drug discovery, micropropagation, and secondary metabolite production. This concise, keyword-rich overview on Types of plant tissue cultures MCQs With Answer covers callus culture, suspension culture, organogenesis, somatic embryogenesis, protoplast and anther culture, hairy root culture, meristem culture, synthetic seeds, and embryo rescue. It also explains key concepts like totipotency, sterilization, culture media (MS, B5), plant growth regulators (auxins, cytokinins, 2,4-D, BAP), scaling, elicitation, and somaclonal variation to strengthen practical understanding and exam readiness. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. Which type of plant tissue culture is most commonly used for rapid clonal multiplication of elite, disease-free planting material?
- Callus culture
- Micropropagation
- Protoplast culture
- Anther culture
Correct Answer: Micropropagation
Q2. Which culture technique involves maintaining plant cells in a liquid medium under agitation for biomass and secondary metabolite production?
- Callus culture
- Suspension culture
- Meristem culture
- Embryo culture
Correct Answer: Suspension culture
Q3. Which of the following is the best description of totipotency in plant cells?
- The ability of a cell to produce only roots
- The capacity of a single cell to regenerate a whole plant
- The irreversible specialization of cells
- The formation of callus from explants
Correct Answer: The capacity of a single cell to regenerate a whole plant
Q4. Which growth regulator is most commonly used to induce callus formation in many plant species?
- Benzylaminopurine (BAP)
- Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)
- 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)
- Gibberellic acid (GA3)
Correct Answer: 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)
Q5. Organogenesis in tissue culture refers to:
- The formation of somatic embryos only
- The direct development of organs (shoots or roots) from explants or callus
- Fusion of protoplasts to form hybrids
- Establishment of suspension cultures
Correct Answer: The direct development of organs (shoots or roots) from explants or callus
Q6. Somatic embryogenesis differs from organogenesis because it:
- Produces organs without hormone use
- Generates bipolar structures resembling zygotic embryos
- Requires protoplast fusion
- Only occurs in liquid medium
Correct Answer: Generates bipolar structures resembling zygotic embryos
Q7. Which medium is most widely used as a basal medium in plant tissue culture labs?
- Gamborg B5 medium
- Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium
- Luria-Bertani (LB) medium
- Hoagland solution
Correct Answer: Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium
Q8. Which explant is preferred for virus elimination and producing pathogen-free plants?
- Leaf discs
- Root segments
- Apical meristem
- Mature seeds
Correct Answer: Apical meristem
Q9. Which culture technique is primarily used to obtain haploid plants for rapid production of homozygous lines?
- Protoplast culture
- Anther or isolated microspore culture
- Callus subculture
- Synthetic seed production
Correct Answer: Anther or isolated microspore culture
Q10. Hairy root cultures are induced by which organism and are useful for stable secondary metabolite production?
- Agrobacterium tumefaciens
- Agrobacterium rhizogenes
- Rhizobium leguminosarum
- Escherichia coli
Correct Answer: Agrobacterium rhizogenes
Q11. What is the purpose of using high cytokinin to auxin ratio in shoot induction media?
- To induce root formation
- To promote callus browning
- To favor shoot initiation and proliferation
- To induce somatic embryogenesis only
Correct Answer: To favor shoot initiation and proliferation
Q12. Synthetic seeds are typically created by encapsulating which of the following?
- Leaf fragments in agar
- Somatic embryos or shoot buds in alginate beads
- Protoplasts in liquid medium
- Meristem tips in silica gel
Correct Answer: Somatic embryos or shoot buds in alginate beads
Q13. Which sterilizing agent is commonly used for surface sterilization of explants and is preferred in many labs due to lower toxicity?
- Mercuric chloride (HgCl2)
- Sodium hypochlorite (bleach)
- Ethanol 100%
- Formalin
Correct Answer: Sodium hypochlorite (bleach)
Q14. Protoplast culture is particularly useful for which application in plant biotechnology?
- Seed germination enhancement
- Somatic hybridization by protoplast fusion
- Meristem culture for virus elimination
- Hairy root induction
Correct Answer: Somatic hybridization by protoplast fusion
Q15. Which phenomenon refers to genetic and phenotypic variability observed in plants regenerated from tissue culture?
- Somaclonal variation
- Chimera formation
- Hyperhydricity
- Photomorphogenesis
Correct Answer: Somaclonal variation
Q16. During somatic embryogenesis, which sequence correctly represents developmental stages?
- Heart → Globular → Torpedo → Cotyledonary
- Globular → Heart → Torpedo → Cotyledonary
- Torpedo → Heart → Globular → Cotyledonary
- Cotyledonary → Torpedo → Heart → Globular
Correct Answer: Globular → Heart → Torpedo → Cotyledonary
Q17. Which elicitor is commonly used to enhance secondary metabolite synthesis in cultured plant cells?
- Methyl jasmonate
- Calcium carbonate
- Sodium chloride
- Ammonium sulfate
Correct Answer: Methyl jasmonate
Q18. What is the typical pH range adjusted for most plant tissue culture media before autoclaving?
- pH 3.0–4.0
- pH 5.5–5.8
- pH 7.5–8.0
- pH 9.0–10.0
Correct Answer: pH 5.5–5.8
Q19. Which compound is commonly used as a rooting auxin in in vitro root induction?
- 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP)
- Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)
- Gibberellic acid (GA3)
- Zeatin
Correct Answer: Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)
Q20. Cryopreservation of germplasm often uses which two broad methods for long-term storage?
- Freeze-drying and refrigeration
- Slow freezing and vitrification
- Lyophilization and oven drying
- Air-drying and room temperature storage
Correct Answer: Slow freezing and vitrification
Q21. Which culture condition is most likely to reduce contamination from fungi and bacteria during explant establishment?
- Using non-sterile instruments
- Short surface sterilization time
- Excessively low temperature incubation
- Strict aseptic technique with proper sterilants
Correct Answer: Strict aseptic technique with proper sterilants
Q22. Which medium is often preferred for suspension cultures of some cell lines due to optimized vitamins and organic components?
- Murashige and Skoog (MS)
- Gamborg B5
- Luria-Bertani (LB)
- Minimal Salts Medium
Correct Answer: Gamborg B5
Q23. What is vitrification (hyperhydricity) in tissue culture and a common cause?
- Enhanced rooting due to auxin; caused by low light
- Glassiness and water-soaked appearance; caused by high humidity and imbalanced hormones
- Callus browning due to phenolics; caused by antioxidant absence
- Fungal contamination visible on shoots; caused by poor sterilization
Correct Answer: Glassiness and water-soaked appearance; caused by high humidity and imbalanced hormones
Q24. Embryo rescue is a technique primarily used to:
- Generate synthetic seeds from somatic embryos
- Recover hybrid embryos that would otherwise abort after interspecific crosses
- Convert callus into shoots
- Induce hairy roots using A. rhizogenes
Correct Answer: Recover hybrid embryos that would otherwise abort after interspecific crosses
Q25. Which antibiotic is commonly used as a selectable marker in plant genetic transformation studies?
- Penicillin
- Kanamycin
- Tetracycline
- Chloramphenicol
Correct Answer: Kanamycin
Q26. Which factor most strongly influences the choice of explant for tissue culture initiation?
- Color of the explant
- Explant age, physiological state, and endogenous hormone levels
- Availability of animal serum
- Presence of bacteria on the surface
Correct Answer: Explant age, physiological state, and endogenous hormone levels
Q27. For scaling up secondary metabolite production from cell cultures, which bioreactor configuration is often used?
- Shake flask only
- Stirred-tank and air-lift bioreactors adapted for plant cells
- Agar plate culture systems
- Open pond systems
Correct Answer: Stirred-tank and air-lift bioreactors adapted for plant cells
Q28. Which statement best describes somatic hybridization?
- Crossing two species by conventional pollen transfer
- Fusion of protoplasts from different species to combine genomes
- Generating haploids from anthers
- Encapsulation of embryos to make synthetic seeds
Correct Answer: Fusion of protoplasts from different species to combine genomes
Q29. What routine subculture interval is commonly recommended to maintain healthy callus or cell cultures?
- Every 1–2 days
- Every 4–6 weeks depending on growth rate
- Once a year
- Never subculture once established
Correct Answer: Every 4–6 weeks depending on growth rate
Q30. Which advantage of in vitro plant tissue culture is most relevant to pharmaceutical applications?
- Guaranteed identical taste of plants
- Controlled production of bioactive secondary metabolites and scalable synthesis
- Elimination of the need for any quality control
- Inability to manipulate metabolic pathways
Correct Answer: Controlled production of bioactive secondary metabolites and scalable synthesis
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