Why Arabidopsis is a model plant?

Major reasons for the adoption of Arabidopsis as a model for

plant molecular genetics

1 - Short-generation time; 8 weeks from seed to seed.

2 - Small (adult approximately 20 cms tall), easily grown at high

density in glasshouse or culture room.

3 - Diploid genome, making analysis of recessive mutations easy.

4 - Self fertilizes, so can isolate seed from a single plant without

need to cross fertilize. A single plant produces hundreds or
thousands of seeds. Each plant can produce the 10,000 to 40,000
seeds

5 - Small simple genome size; around 140 Mb. has five pairs of
chromosomes 2n=10, Average gene size is about 200 bp

6 - Genome almost completely sequenced.

7 - Efficient transformation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

8 - Forward genetics identified many mutants – over 1500 freely

available from stock centre; Reverse genetic resources excellent –
over 100,000 insertions at precise sequenced locations.

9 -Easy maintenance and space-efficient

10 -Applicable similarities with other plants

11 -It has a potential to help increase food production quantity

and quality to feed a growing world population
12 - Basic life precesses similar to those of more complex crop
plants such as corn, soybeans, and wheat

13 - Easy to establish many knockout lines within short amount of

time

14 - It is easily susceptible to Agrobacterium which contain Ti

plasmids, the vehicles for T-DNA insertion

15 - It can be assumed that the basic set of genes that control

these processes are the same, making findings applicable to other
species

16 - Found 125 million base pairs of DNA

17 - 18% genes were common with human genome

18 - It has ability to grow in the laboratory

19 - Many variants are available

20- Ability to self fertilization and out cross

Resources:

https://www.mpipz.mpg.de/25260/coupland_2005-01_part4.pdf

www.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de

https://www.slideshare.net/SACHINEKATPURE/why-arabidopsis-
is-a-model-plant