Growth Control in Plants

Learning Objectives
Understand that plants respond to stimuli Describe the geotropic responses of roots and stems Describe positive phototropism of stems

Sensitivity Responding to the environment Why?

Plants respond to stimuli to:

Avoid stress (what?)

Avoid being eaten

Enhance survival Improve chances of having offspring

Sensitivity Responding to the environment How?

Plants usually respond to stimuli by: Growing

 The way a plant grows is controlled by the plants hormones These are released in response to changes in the environment

Hormones control a plants response to help it survive

Chemical Messengers
Oestrogen Glucagon ADH

Coordinate systems

What is a Hormone? What do hormones do?

Insulin Testosterone Adrenalin

Examples?

Travel in the blood, secreted by glands

Causes a change in how the body works

Control Growth, blood sugar, sex development, mood, metabolism.

What do hormones control in plants?

Anything Relating to Growth! Roots Shoots

Hormones in Plants

Seed Germination
Leaf Fall Fruit Formation and Ripening Flowering Time Bud formation

Discuss explain how controlling each of these helps a plant survive

Root growth
Shoot growth Seed Germination Time of leaf Fall Time of Fruit Formation and Ripening Flowering Time Time of bud formation

Tropisms
Directional growth response Plants grow in a certain direction in response to a stimulus

Use your observations (from the next slides) to complete columns 2 and 3 of the table
Tropism
1. Phototropism 2. Geotropism 3. Chemotropism 4. Thigmotropism

Stimulus

Response

5. Hydrotropism

Important minerals in soil

http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=ktIGVtKdgwo

4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =8HeedWWe6VA&feature=fvsr

Draw a Diagram for Each Tropism

Example: Hydrotropism

Growth

Water

Review your partners work to be sure they have completed the table
Tropism
1. Phototropism 2. Geotropism 3. Chemotropism 4. Thigmotropism

Stimulus

Response

Diagram

5. Hydrotropism

Match the correct scenario to the tropism.

Roots Growing into Dark Soil Roots Growing Upwards towards light. Positive Phototropism Negative Geotropism Negative Phototropism

Shoots Growing Upwards

Roots Growing Downwards.

Positive Geotropism

Clinostat
What is the clinostat used for?

What result is shown here?

What detects the light?

Coleoptile is the pointed protective sheath covering the emerging shoot

Darwins experiment 1880

What would you conclude?

A growth stimulus is produced in the tip of the shoot The growth stimulus is transmitted to the zone of cell growth The cells on the shaded side elongate more than the cells on the other side

Boysen-Jensen 1913

What would you conclude?

Materials which are not permeable to water, such as mica, can stop the curvature response in some circumstances

Boysen-Jensen 1913

What would you conclude?

Materials which are permeable to water, such as gelatin, do not interfere with the curvature response

What can explain this?

Shoots of plants contain the hormone auxin
Auxin causes shoot growth Auxin is destroyed by light

What Causes Tropisms?

When light shines from one side:

Sunlight breaks down Auxin So the side of the tip that has the most sunlight will have the least amount of Auxin Area of the plant that is more shaded will have more Auxin More growth on shaded side So plant bends towards light

How auxin causes phototropism