Somatic Hybridisation & Pomato — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2026Imagine a situation when a protoplast of tomato is fused with that of potato, and then they are grown – to form new hybrid plants combining tomato and potato characteristics. Well, this has been achieved – resulting in formation of pomato; unfortunately this plant did not have all the desired combination of characteristics for its commercial utilisation.
Somatic hybridisation is the fusion of protoplasts from two different plant species (like tomato and potato) to create hybrid plants with combined traits. NTA tests whether students understand that even when a somatic hybrid is successfully created, it doesn't guarantee desirable commercial characteristics—the pomato example shows this limitation. Students often mistakenly assume that successful fusion automatically produces a viable, commercially useful plant. Remember: successful creation of a somatic hybrid ≠ successful acquisition of all desired traits. This concept tests understanding of biotechnology's real-world limitations and practical applications beyond just the laboratory technique.
Arrange the steps of somatic hybridisation in correct sequence: A. Digestion of cell walls; B. Isolation of naked protoplasts; C. Fusion of protoplasts; D. Isolation of single cells from two varieties; E. Growing hybrid protoplast into a new plant.
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