ABSTRACT
Plant cell culture is the basis of many different technologies that are proving to be of great benefit to many disciplines. The ability to culture plant cells or tissues is essential to the success of all of these techniques. This chapter introduces the basics of plant cell culture and discusses the techniques, which utilise the ability of plant cells to be cultured. The zygote represents the first stage in the development of a genetically unique organism. The zygote is endowed with genes from two parents and thus it is diploid. In an intact plant there are many kinds of cells all having different forms and functions. Meristematic cells and thin-walled parenchymatous tissue, are said to be undifferentiated, while specialised cells are differentiated. The cells of the callus and suspension cultures are mainly undifferentiated and it is not yet possible to induce them to become of just one differentiated type.
