Tobacco is what it is because its leaf is rich in a wide array of different chemicals. Depending on type and processing, its chemical profile continues to make cured tobacco leaf an agreeable stimulant, whether the finished product is smoked, chewed or taken as snuff. But tobacco hides secrets not widely known by the tobacco fraternity. Together with other members of the plant family Solanaceae the genus/species Nicotiana tabacum , to which virtually all commercially grown tobacco types and varieties belong, is a user-friendly and versatile plant for cell biologists and plant physiologists to manipulate and work on. For these reasons, tobacco has been widely used in definitive laboratory studies and in research that had absolutely nothing to do with tobacco as a fumitory (smoking) material. Tobacco's versatility and adaptability for tissue culture and cell technology became even more evident with the advent of transgenic (genetically modified - GM) plant technology.