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September 2023
By: Tiffany Susanto
Meristem is a part of a plant, it plays a key function in increasing the plant’s length. There are three types of meristem, according to it’s position: shoot apical meristem, lateral meristem, and root apical meristem. The apical is a tissue in most plants that is found in the plant zones of growth at the tips of plants.
What is Meristem Culture?
Known as tissue culture, meristem culture was first reported by scientists named Morel and Martin in 1952. It is used to eliminate viruses and parasites while growing plants. Since the meristem cells consist of undifferentiated cells, they are capable of cell division. This division provides new cells for expansion for cells and organ development, providing the structure of the plant body. Being an embryonic cell that is actively dividing, it has high metabolic activities and a hormone called auxin, which makes virus multiplication uncommon. The concentration of the shoot apical meristem and root apical meristem will be extracted, then taken to a culturing process. Through this process, a product that is free of virus can be formed.
The Process of Meristem Culture
First, make sure the mother plant is free from any viruses and parasites.
Cut the shoot apical meristem, the tip of the plant from the twig.
Prepare a solution of sodium hypochlorite to sterilize the surface of the shoot tip for 10 minutes.
Rinse the explants with distilled water for 4 times, to remove the attached solution while still maintaining it’s nutrients.
Transfer the explants to a sterilized petri dish.
Dissect the outer leaves of the shoot tip under the microscope, with sterilized tools. It is better to use a sharp scalpel or needle to prevent any damage to the meristem cells.
Transfer the meristematic tissue to a suitable growth medium. For example, you can use the MS (Murashige and Skoog’s medium) that contains nutrients.
Incubate the culture for 16 hours under 25 degrees celsius.
After the growth of the meristem, continue to monitor and observe their development regularly.
Applications of Meristem Culture
Meristem culture is not only capable of producing free-virus plants, but they can help to improve research for science. The meristem shoot tips also help scientists to regenerate plants through genetic engineering. It can be used as a plant conversation for rare and endangered plants. Meristem culture has also contributed a lot to the research world. It has a large range of applications that is widely used in many mechanisms.
References
Singh, A., & Got a Plant Tissue Culture or Plant Cell Technology story to share? (2023, February 21). Meristem culture: Definition, procedure, benefits, and applications. Plant Cell Technology | Your partner in plant tissue culture.
https://www.plantcelltechnology.com/blogmeristem-culture-definition-procedure-benefits-and-applications/#:~:text=What%20is%20Meristem%20Culture?,cells%E2%80%94for%20the%20culturing%20process
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