Tissue culture involves growing plants from very small sections (sometimes microscopic) in a laboratory. It is a propagation method which is being increasingly used. Tissue culture is not appropriate for many plants, but for others such as orchids, some indoor plants and in particular, many new plant varieties, it is a very popular propagation method.

There are 9 lessons in this course:

1. Introduction including a review of basic plant nutrition.
2. Plant Nutrients.
3. The Laboratory
4. Micropropagation Techniques
5. Plant Hormones
6. The Tissue Culture Environment
7. Commercial Applications
8. Taking Plants out of Culture
9. Culture of Selected Species

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

• Explain the nature of plant growth processes, in the tissue culture environment.
• Determine growing media to use for tissue culture.
• Specify appropriate micropropagation procedures for different purposes.
• Explain the management of environmental control equipment used in tissue culture.
• Design a layout for a commercial tissue culture facility.
• Determine appropriate commercial applications for tissue culture.

• You will learn a wide variety of things, through a combination of reading, interacting with tutors, undertaking research and practical tasks, and watching videos. Here are just some of the things you will be doing:
• Describe botanical terms which may be relevant to tissue culture.
• Explain different physiological processes which are relevant to tissue culture, including:
  • Photosynthesis
  • Transpiration
  • Respiration.
• Differentiate between different types of plant tissue, including:
  • Collenchyma
  • Sclerenchyma
  • Parenchyma
  • Xylem
  • Phloem
  • Meristem.
• Describe the stages of plant growth during tissue culture of a specified plant.
• Explain the roles of the major and minor nutrients in tissue culture.
• Explain how five different specified plant hormones can be used in tissue culturing plants.
• Explain the functions of different types of components of media, including:
  • Nutrients
  • Carbohydrates
  • Vitamins
  • Growth regulators
  • Amino acids
  • Antibiotics.
• Differentiate between appropriate applications for both liquid and solid media.
• Compare two different specified formulae for tissue culturing, formulated for two different plant general.