Question

Applying colchicine to a diploid plant may cause _____ _____ in a cell, which will form a tetraploid daughter cell. Such a tetraploid cell may continue to divide and produce a segment of the plant with more robust characteristics.

Answer 1

Colchicine can cause polyploidy in a diploid plant, resulting in the formation of a tetraploid daughter cell with more chromosomes. This can lead to the production of a plant segment with enhanced characteristics.

Step-by-step explanation:

Polyploidy is a condition in which an organism has more than the normal number of chromosome sets. In plants, polyploidy can occur through hybridization events where gametes of two separate species combine. When colchicine is applied to a diploid plant, it can cause polyploidy in a cell, resulting in the formation of a tetraploid daughter cell with twice as many chromosomes as it should have. This tetraploid cell may continue to divide and produce a segment of the plant with more robust characteristics.