Match List – I with List – II. LIST I LIST II A. Somatic hybrid I. Ge…

The correct answer is Option (1) → A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III

LIST I	LIST II
A. Somatic hybrid	II. Pomato
B. Totipotency	I. Generation of whole plant from the explant
C. Genetically identical plant	IV. Somaclones
D. Meristem culture	III. Growing of plants in vitro to obtain virus-free plants.

A. Somatic hybridisation: Scientists have even isolated single cells from plants and after digesting their cell walls have been able to isolate naked protoplasts (surrounded by plasma membranes). Isolated protoplasts from two different varieties of plants – each having a desirable character – can be fused to get hybrid protoplasts, which can be further grown to form a new plant. These hybrids are called somatic hybrids while the process is called somatic hybridisation. When a protoplast of tomato is fused with that of potato, and then they are grown – to form new hybrid plants combining tomato and potato characteristics – resulting in formation of pomato.

B. Plant tissue culture is based on the special property of plant cells to generate a whole plant, called totipotency. The plant part used in tissue culture is called explant. The nutrient medium provides a carbon sources such as sucrose, inorganic salts, vitamins, amino acids and growth regulators like auxins cytokinins etc.

C. Propagation of thousands of plants in very short duration through tissue culture is called micropropagation. Each of these plants will be genetically identical to the original plant i.e., they are somaclones.

D. Another important application is the recovery of healthy plants from diseased plants. Although the plant is infected with a virus, the meristem (apical and axillary) is free of virus. Hence, one can remove the meristem and grow it in vitro to obtain virus-free plants. Scientists have succeeded in culturing meristems of banana, sugarcane, potato, etc.