This deep dive covers Plant Cuttings — The Simplest Clone within Cloning for GCSE Biology. Cloning techniques, applications, and ethical considerations It is section 2 of 12 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 2 of 12
Practice
25 questions
Recall
20 flashcards
✂️ Plant Cuttings — The Simplest Clone
The simplest way to clone a plant is to take a cutting — a small section of stem with a few leaves. Place the cutting in damp compost or water, and it will grow roots and develop into a new plant.
This produces a clone because the cutting grows by mitosis — every new cell copies the DNA from the parent plant exactly. No fertilisation occurs, so no new allele combination is introduced. The new plant is genetically identical to the parent.
Gardeners use cuttings to: reproduce plants with desirable features (colour, size, disease resistance) quickly and cheaply, without waiting for seeds to grow.