Arabidopsis thaliana is a small flowering plant that is widely used as a
model organism in plant biology.
Arabidopsis is a member of the mustard (Brassicaceae) family, which includes cultivated
species such as cabbage and radish.
Arabidopsis is not of major agronomic significance, but it offers important advantages for basic research in
genetics and molecular biology. Over 750 natural accessions of
Arabidopsis thaliana have been collected from around the world and are available from the two major seed
stock centers, ABRC and NASC. These accessions are quite variable in terms of form and development (e.g. leaf shape,hairiness) and physiology (e.g. flowering time, disease resistance). Researchers around the world are using these differences in natural accessions to uncover the complex genetic interactions such as those underlying plant responses to environment and
evolution of morphological traits. While many collections of natural accessions may not meet a strict definition of an ecotype, they are commonly referred to as ecotypes in the scientific literature.
Relevant Topics in Medical Sciences
