Can We Multiply Plants Without Seeds?

We are all familiar with plants growing from seeds placed in soil. However, some plants, such as roses, develop from stem cuttings, while other plants, like potatoes, grow from tuber (the part we eat) sprouts. But is there another way to multiply plants without seeds? The answer is yes! Starting from a piece of live plant tissue, exact copies, or clones, can be produced by providing the tissue with all the nutrients required for its growth and development. This technique, called plant tissue culture, is typically done by placing the plant tissue in a glass dish kept in a safe laboratory environment. Plant tissue culture is a fairly new way to multiply chosen plants in large numbers. In this article, you will learn why scientists choose to produce plant clones and how those clones are produced in the laboratory.