Many valuable horticultural varieties of plants, including roses, rhododendrons, junipers, geraniums, and so on, are commonly propagated by inducing roots to form on cuttings taken from branch tips. This method involves cutting a few inches from the tip of a branch and inserting the cut end into moist sand or other substrate. Under the right conditions, roots may form from the cut end, giving a new plant generated from the stem cutting. Which of the following hypotheses is the LEAST likely, given the observation of roots forming from a cut stem?
A)genome reduction hypothesis
B)differential gene expression hypothesis
C)differential cell signaling hypothesis
D)epigenetic regulation hypothesis

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The genome reduction hypothesis suggests that the reduction in the genome size during evolution has allowed for greater specialization of cells and tissues, leading to the formation of new organs and structures. This hypothesis is not relevant to the observation of roots forming from a cut stem, as it pertains to evolutionary changes over time and not to the process of plant propagation through cuttings. The other three hypotheses (differential gene expression, differential cell signaling, and epigenetic regulation) are all relevant to the process of inducing roots to form on cuttings and could potentially explain the observed phenomenon.

Many Valuable Horticultural Varieties of Plants, Including Roses, Rhododendrons, Junipers