Somatic embryogenesis is an artificial process in which a plant embryo is derived from a single somatic cell.[1] Somatic embryos are formed from plant cells that are not normally involved in the development of embryos, i.e. ordinary plant tissue. No endosperm or seed coat is formed around a somatic embryo.
Cells derived from competent source tissue are cultured to form an undifferentiated mass of cells called a callus. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) in the tissue culture medium can be manipulated to induce callus formation and subsequently changed to induce embryos to form the callus. The ratio of different plant growth regulators required to induce callus or embryo formation varies with the type of plant.[2] Somatic embryos are mainly produced in vitro for laboratory research, using either solid or liquid nutrient media containing plant growth regulators. The main PGRs used are auxins but cytokinins may also be present in smaller amounts.[3] Shoots and roots are monopolar while somatic embryos are bipolar, allowing them to form a whole plant without culturing on multiple media types. Somatic embryogenesis has served as a model of the physiological and biochemical events that occur during plant developmental processes and has also played a role in biotechnological advancement.[4] The first documentation of somatic embryogenesis was by Steward et al. in 1958 and Reinert in 1959 with carrot cell suspension cultures.[5][6]
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