what is somatic cell hybridization?
Somatic cell means any cell of the body except the germ (sex) cells.
Somatic cell hybridization is carried out in plants as the mean of artificial propagation. In this method cells from two different plants are taken and their cell wall is removed by the means of certain chemicals. The plant cells without cell wall are termed as protoplasts. The protoplasts of two cells ( which are from different plants) are allowed to fuse with other with the help of certain chemicals. This result in formation of hybrid (mixed) cell, because new cell represents both the parent cells. As the process involves formation of mixed/hybrid cell, it is called hybridization.