Question: 118. Mutations in plant cells can be induced by :
(1) Kinetin
(2) Infrared rays
(3) Gamma rays
(4) Zeatin
Answer: Option (3)
Explanation:
Mutations are sudden heritable changes in the genetic material.
They can be induced artificially using physical or chemical mutagens.
Gamma rays are high-energy ionizing radiations that can damage DNA by causing breaks or alterations in nucleotide sequences.
Therefore, gamma rays are commonly used to induce mutations in plant cells for breeding and research purposes.
Kinetin and zeatin are plant growth hormones and do not cause mutations.
Infrared rays do not have enough energy to induce genetic mutations.
Hence, the correct answer is gamma rays.