Abstract: Experimental courses on plant tissue culture are widely offered in biology and related majors, yet they face challenges such as difficulties in obtaining suitable explant materials, stringent aseptic operation requirements, and environmental pollution posed by experimental reagents. To enhance the effectiveness of plant tissue culture experiments conducted in universities, improvements were made to the experimental design. The experiment utilized fresh sweet corn as the material, employing ethanol-based disinfectants for surface sterilization. The seeds and embryos were then inoculated into media containing various mass concentrations of 2,4-D to observe the impact of different mass concentrations of 2,4-D on callus induction, as well as on the growth of roots and shoots. Students were divided into several groups to conduct the experiments, with each group responsible for inoculating explants under specific treatment conditions, conducting subsequent observations, and recording data. Finally, all groups shared their experimental data and jointly analyzed the results to draw conclusions. Through the experiment, students not only mastered the basic skills of tissue culture but also verified plant physiological phenomena such as the influence of auxin on cell growth and differentiation, and fully observed the formation process of callus. This experimental design had several advantages, including easy access to plant materials, simple and easy-to-master operations, the use of environmentally friendly disinfectants, and good extensibility. In practice, it has stimulated students’ strong interest and cultivated their scientific thinking and teamwork skills.

Key words: plant tissue culture, maize, 2,4-D, callus, experimental teaching