Lets Learn about Cloning in Plants!
Plants cover the earth- could they possibly have figured out how to clone themselves?
The answer is yes! There are several different ways that plants reproduce. Some plants clone themselves by sending out shoots or vines called runners which grow genetically identical copies- clones! These clones grow roots and become their own plant- like English Ivy, Strawberries, and Spider plants. Other plants grow roots where cuttings have been taken or leaves have been broken off, like the succulents Aloe Vera, Echevaria, and many types of Cactus plants.
Other popular plants that "clone" themselves are Roses, Hydrangeas, and the Blueberry bush. You can cut pieces off of these plants and those little pieces will grow their own roots, and then become their own plant! The scientific term for this kind of cloning is vegetative propagation. This has been utilized by many gardeners who want to share their favorite plants with their friends.
Plants can also be cloned in a laboratory when a sample of the plant is taken and placed into a nutrient-rich culture. The resulting growth is planted in soil!
There are several Pros and Cons about cloning plants. One disadvantage is that the cloning of plants and food crops leads to less diversity, which means that all of the plants will react the same way when exposed to extreme environmental stresses or disease. An advantage of cloning plants is that it is more easy to control the colors of the flowers or the size of the plant, which is important for people who grow plants to sell.
There are many plants that create copies of themselves by having both male and female parts within their flowers- the Stamen, Anther, and Filament, and the Carpel, Stigma, Style, and Ovary, all work together, with a little help from our friend the Bumblebee, to create Seeds- and seeds grow new plants! There are so many ways for plants to reproduce- isn't it fascinating?
The answer is yes! There are several different ways that plants reproduce. Some plants clone themselves by sending out shoots or vines called runners which grow genetically identical copies- clones! These clones grow roots and become their own plant- like English Ivy, Strawberries, and Spider plants. Other plants grow roots where cuttings have been taken or leaves have been broken off, like the succulents Aloe Vera, Echevaria, and many types of Cactus plants.
Other popular plants that "clone" themselves are Roses, Hydrangeas, and the Blueberry bush. You can cut pieces off of these plants and those little pieces will grow their own roots, and then become their own plant! The scientific term for this kind of cloning is vegetative propagation. This has been utilized by many gardeners who want to share their favorite plants with their friends.
Plants can also be cloned in a laboratory when a sample of the plant is taken and placed into a nutrient-rich culture. The resulting growth is planted in soil!
There are several Pros and Cons about cloning plants. One disadvantage is that the cloning of plants and food crops leads to less diversity, which means that all of the plants will react the same way when exposed to extreme environmental stresses or disease. An advantage of cloning plants is that it is more easy to control the colors of the flowers or the size of the plant, which is important for people who grow plants to sell.
There are many plants that create copies of themselves by having both male and female parts within their flowers- the Stamen, Anther, and Filament, and the Carpel, Stigma, Style, and Ovary, all work together, with a little help from our friend the Bumblebee, to create Seeds- and seeds grow new plants! There are so many ways for plants to reproduce- isn't it fascinating?
BOoks and Web Discovery
Click here to learn how to clone your own cabbage from kitchen scraps!
There are several great books to read about plants! You can read "The Tiny Seed" by Eric Carle, "From Seed to Plant" by Gail Gibbons, "A Seed Is Sleepy" by Dianna Haston, and "Planting a Rainbow" by Lois Elhert.
Want to check out a great website for kids with lots of experiments and games to learn about plants- like extracting your own Banana DNA and word searches with plant vocabulary? Click here.
There are several great books to read about plants! You can read "The Tiny Seed" by Eric Carle, "From Seed to Plant" by Gail Gibbons, "A Seed Is Sleepy" by Dianna Haston, and "Planting a Rainbow" by Lois Elhert.
Want to check out a great website for kids with lots of experiments and games to learn about plants- like extracting your own Banana DNA and word searches with plant vocabulary? Click here.