ARABIDOPSIS

Arabidopsis commonly refers to Arabidopsis thaliana, a small annual flowering plant in the Brassicaceae family. It is widely used as a model organism in plant biology due to its small size, fast life cycle, and ease of genetic manipulation. Commonly called thale cress, it is native to Eurasia and parts of North Africa and has become a global standard in laboratory research.

Arabidopsis thaliana has a compact genome, roughly 135 million base pairs, organized into five chromosomes, and contains about 27,000 predicted genes. The genome was one of the first plant genomes to be fully sequenced and annotated, providing a reference for comparative genomics in plants. The Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR) serves as the central database for genetic and genomic data.

It is an annual or quick-breeding plant, completing its life cycle in about six weeks under favorable conditions. It can grow in small pots with simple soil and is easily transformed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, enabling genetic modification and creation of loss- and gain-of-function mutants. Self-pollination leads to inbred lines, which support genetic mapping and laboratory reproducibility.

Its use as a model organism has contributed to major advances in plant biology, including the study of plant development, hormone signaling pathways (auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, abscisic acid), light perception, flowering time, and plant immune responses. The species has inspired extensive mutant resources, gene expression tools, and standardized protocols to facilitate research across plant sciences.