Chapter 17 Tissue Culture: Micropropagation 435
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Stage 0: Selection and
Cultivation of Stock Plants
This stage requires the meticulous
cultivation of stock plants (parent plant
material kept specifi cally for the purpose
of propagation). Particular attention is
paid to the plants to ensure there are no
diseases or insects impacting the plant’s
growth, Figure 17-7. This stage is in place
to limit or prevent contamination in the
following stages.
Stage 1: Initiation or
Establishment
In stage 1, an aseptic
environment is established and the
explant is sterilized and transferred
to an in vitro culture. To prevent
contamination, technicians must keep
their hair tied back or covered and
they must wash their hands with
warm soapy water for 30 seconds
before handling plant material and
tools. All jewelry should be removed.
Wearing latex or nitrile gloves and
a simple face mask at this time is
also recommended. All work areas
should be cleaned with a 10% bleach
solution and hot soapy water. Finally,
everything must be sprayed with a
70% solution of ethanol or isopropyl
alcohol, Figure 17-8.
masa_damon/Shutterstock.com
Figure 17-7. Micropropagation equipment and materials
include sterile petri dishes filled with growth medium. This
medium includes sugars, agar, hormones, and salts to aid in
plant development.
Safety Note
Hand Washing
Do not wash your hands with hotter
water than is comfortable. Also, gently
wash your hands. Do not scrub them to
the point of discomfort. Harshly scrubbing
your hands may cause abrasions and
this, coupled with bacterial or fungal
contaminants, may cause serious health
problems. If your hands have any cuts or
abrasions, the alcohol solution will cause
a great deal of discomfort.
Alexander Raths/Shutterstock.com
anyaivanova/Shutterstock.com
Figure 17-8. A sterile lab is essential for tissue culture. This is one of
the larger expenses associated with micropropagation.