Plant piece used in tissue culture is called

Options

A. explant
B. somachlone
C. inoculant
D. clone

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Tissue Culture**: Tissue culture is a technique used to grow plant cells, tissues, or organs under sterile conditions on a nutrient culture medium.

2. **Identifying the Plant Piece**: In tissue culture, a small piece of plant tissue is taken to initiate the culture. This piece is crucial for the growth and development of new plants.

3. **Terminology**: The specific term used for the plant piece used in tissue culture is "explant." This term refers to any part of the plant that is used to start the tissue culture process.

4. **Characteristics of Explant**: The explant is typically a totipotent part of the plant, meaning it has the potential to develop into a whole plant. It can be derived from various parts of the plant such as leaves, roots, shoots, or flowers.

5. **Process Following Explantation**: Once the explant is placed in a suitable culture medium, cell division occurs, leading to the formation of a callus. Hormones like cytokinin may be added to promote growth and differentiation.

6. **Conclusion**: Therefore, the correct answer to the question is that the plant piece used in tissue culture is called an "explant."

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