ISOLATION, NUTRITION AND METABOLISM OF PHOTOSYNTHESIZING PLANT TISSUES
Abstract
There appears a great potential in tissue cultures of higher plants as a means of producing an abundant supply of fresh, edible, tasty, nutritious plant food for gas exchange in difficult situations and in space travel. Chlorophyllous and nonchlorophyllous strains of edible plant tissues have already been established from many plant species. The requirements for growth and chlorophyll production are ingluenced by the composition of the medium on which they are grown and by other environmental factors, including light, temperature and acidity of the medium. Nitrate is an excellent source of nitrogen. Tissues grown in liquid media on a shaker or in aerated media tend to fragment into single cells and small clumps of cells. Tissues on agar media may be grown as undifferentiated masses of cells or may be induced to differentiate roots, stems, leaves and plants by modifying the nutrient and other environments. Under space conditions the chlorophyllous tissues would have unlimited sunlight as energy for photosynthesis, would utilize carbon dioxide, and would produce oxygen in the process of synthesizing carbohydrate for food. Such abilities for growth and differentiation as a single cell or as tissue masses and even plants suggest this method has a great built-in potential to select for almost any type of food quality desired.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0637848
Entities
People
- A. C. Hildebrandt
Organizations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison