Look up: Germplasm

1. Germplasm
   Often synonymous with 'genetic material' it is the name given to seed or other material from which plants are propagated. An early theory of inheritance advanced the notion that hereditary characters were contained in an immutable 'plasm' transmitted unchanged from parent to offspring (literally (Greek): a plasm is a mould or matrix in which materials may be cast or formed: a 'plasma' is the result). A germplasm bank is an organised collection of seed or other genetic material (each genotype entered being called an accession) from which new cultivars may be generated. In a zoological context germplasm banks would include collections of preserved sperm or ova and in some cases the animals from which they are derived.
   Found on http://www.encyclo.co.uk/visitor-contrib
   
   
2. Germplasm
   The genetic material, especially its specific molecular and chemical constitution, that compromises the inherited qualities of an organism.
   Found on http://www.encyclo.co.uk/local/20945
   
   
3. Germplasm
   A `germplasm` is a collection of genetic resources for an organism. For plants, the germplasm may be stored as a seed collection or, for trees, in a nursery. See also: References: | publisher=AMS (Bioversity`s Regional Office for the Americas), IPGRI | url=http://www.bioversityinternational.org/Publ...
   Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germplasm