What is somatic hybridisation?

Answer 1

In somatic hybridisation or cybridisation it is not the male and female gametes that are merging into one zygotic embryo, but two somatic cells are combined. The combination is achieved by fusing the membranes of cells. In this way, cytoplasm and nuclear content of the parental cells are mixed, leading - in principle - to hybrids with a summation of the chromosomes and, hence, a polyploidisation.

However, when the parental cells originate from species that are not closely related, the final chromosomal constitution of the hybrids can show aberrations in number and composition. This is also true for the cytoplasmic components such as chloroplasts and mitochondria. Preferential loss of one parent's organelles or recombination can occur.

Specific combinations of beneficial traits not feasible by sexual crosses or transfer of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) can be the goals of somatic hybridisation.

Answer 2

Somatic hybridization is a biotechnological technique where protoplasts from different plant species are fused to create a hybrid cell that contains genetic material from both species. This technique is used to combine desirable traits from different plants, leading to the development of new varieties with improved characteristics.