Question

Which of the following are fused in somatic hybridization involving two varieties of plants?

• A. Callus
• B. Somatic embryos
• C. Protoplasts
• D. Pollens

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Somatic hybridization fuses protoplasts from distinct plant species to generate a hybrid cell, circumventing sexual reproduction by directly merging cellular components.

A protoplast is a plant cell from which the cell wall has been removed, leaving only the plasma membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, and organelles. This cell wall removal enables protoplasts to combine under specific conditions.

Considering the provided terms:

Callus: An unorganized mass of plant cells, capable of differentiation but not utilized in somatic hybridization.

Somatic embryos: Differentiated structures resembling seed development; they are not involved in the initial somatic hybridization step.

Protoplasts: These are the specific entities fused during somatic hybridization.

Pollens: These are components of sexual reproduction and are unrelated to protoplast fusion.

Consequently, Protoplasts are the correct answer. They are essential to somatic hybridization as they merge cellular material from different plant varieties, facilitating the creation of novel hybrid plants.