State The Discovery Of Cytokinins ?

1.	State The Discovery Of Cytokinins ?
Answer» In the 1950s, Folke Skoog and his associates were engaged in tissue culture experiments. While using coconut milk and yeast extract containing growth factor for GROWING tobacco tissues, they found that the active growth factor was a purine DERIVATIVE. Since nucleic ACIDS contain purines, C.O. Miller, one of Skoog’s associates used an old sample of Herring SPERM DNA which was capable of causing tobacco cells to divide. It was of interest to note that fresh samples of DNA FAILED to show any bioactivity, but when aged in an autoclave these became active. The conclusion is that the cell division factor is the breakdown product of nucleic acid which was later recognised to be a cytokinin.

Answer»

In the 1950s, Folke Skoog and his associates were engaged in tissue culture experiments. While using coconut milk and yeast extract containing growth factor for GROWING tobacco tissues, they found that the active growth factor was a purine DERIVATIVE. Since nucleic ACIDS contain purines, C.O. Miller, one of Skoog’s associates used an old sample of Herring SPERM DNA which was capable of causing tobacco cells to divide.
It was of interest to note that fresh samples of DNA FAILED to show any bioactivity, but when aged in an autoclave these became active. The conclusion is that the cell division factor is the breakdown product of nucleic acid which was later recognised to be a cytokinin.

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