One cell, a whole plant

The idea

Totipotency is the ability of any living plant cell, even a mature cell from permanent tissue, to develop into a complete plant when given suitable nutrients and favourable conditions.

A big question

Plant cells in a leaf or a stem are fully grown. They look finished.

Could a single mature plant cell grow into a whole new plant?

• Yes, if given suitable nutrients and favourable conditions
• No, a mature cell can only stay as it is
• Only if it is attached to the parent plant

Grow a plant from one cell

Switch on nutrients and favourable conditions. Run time forward. Then try other cells.

Totipotency

Totipotency is the ability of any living plant cell, even a fully mature cell from a permanent tissue, to develop into a complete plant when it is given suitable nutrients and favourable conditions. Plant cells can form different types of cells and also change them.

In 1902, the Austrian botanist Gottlieb Haberlandt proposed this idea. It laid the foundation for Plant Tissue Culture Technology.

• Needed | Why
• A living plant cell | any living plant cell, even a mature one
• Suitable nutrients | a nutrient-rich medium to grow and multiply
• Favourable conditions | right temperature, acidic or alkaline condition, moisture, sterile

Notes

Totipotency: any living plant cell, even a mature cell from a permanent tissue, can develop into a complete plant when given suitable nutrients and favourable conditions.

Check yourself

What is totipotency?

Which cell can develop into a complete plant, given suitable nutrients and favourable conditions?

Who proposed the idea of totipotency in 1902?

Haberlandt’s idea laid the foundation for…

• The ability of a living plant cell to develop into a complete plant — correct. Yes.
• The ability of a plant to make seeds. It is about a single cell.
• The ability of an animal cell to stop dividing. That is contact inhibition.
• Any living plant cell, even a mature one from a permanent tissue — correct. Yes.
• Only cells of a seed. Any living plant cell can.
• A dead cell. A cell must be alive.
• Gottlieb Haberlandt — correct. Yes.
• Rudolf Virchow. He stated that cells come from pre-existing cells.
• Camillo Golgi. He observed the Golgi apparatus.
• Plant Tissue Culture Technology — correct. Yes.
• the Cell Theory. The Cell Theory came earlier.
• mitosis. Mitosis is a type of cell division.