Stem-cell Genes That Help Form Plant Organs Identified
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 17:28
in Biology & Nature
Biologists have identified all the genes expressed in the stem cells of Arabidopsis, a mustard-like plant that is a model for studying plant biology. The achievement paves the way to developing better varieties of crops and plants. Besides revealing the molecular pathways that stem cells employ, the discovery also can help scientists better understand why stem cells -- in both plants and animals -- give rise to specialized cells at all.