Question

In tissue culture experiments, leaf mesophyll cells are put in a culture medium to form callus. This phenomenon may be called as

• A. Dedifferentiation
• B. Development
• C. Senescence
• D. Differentiation

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

To solve this question, we need to understand what happens to leaf mesophyll cells when they are placed in a culture medium and form a callus.

Explanation:

• Dedifferentiation: This is the process by which mature, specialized cells revert to a less specialized state. In tissue culture, when leaf mesophyll cells are placed in a culture medium, they lose their specialized functions and form an undifferentiated mass of cells known as a callus. This process is an example of dedifferentiation.
• Development: This term refers to the overall process of growth and differentiation experienced by organisms and is not specific to the reversion of specialized cells to a less specialized form.
• Senescence: This refers to the process of aging in cells. Senescence involves the gradual deterioration of functional characteristics in cells, which is unrelated to the formation of callus.
• Differentiation: This is the process by which unspecialized cells develop into more specialized cells. This is the opposite of dedifferentiation and does not describe the formation of a callus from leaf mesophyll cells.

Conclusion: Given this understanding, the phenomenon where leaf mesophyll cells revert to a less specialized form to create callus is correctly termed as dedifferentiation. Therefore, the correct answer is Dedifferentiation.