Tropism

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A tropism (from Greek , tropos, "a turning") is a biological

phenomenon, indicating growth or turning movement of a biological
organism, usually a plant, in response to an environmental stimulus. In
tropisms, this response is dependent on the direction of the stimulus (as
opposed to nastic movements which are non-directional responses).
Viruses and other pathogens also affect what is called "host tropism",
"tissue tropism", or "cell tropism", or in which case tropism refers to the
way in which different viruses/pathogens have evolved to preferentially
target specific host species, specific tissue, or specific cell types within
those species. Tropisms are usually named for the stimulus involved
Phycomyces, a fungus, exhibiting
(for example, a phototropism is a reaction to sunlight) and may be either
phototropism
positive (towards the stimulus) or negative (away from the stimulus).

Tropisms occur in four sequential steps. First, there is a perception to a stimulus, which is usually beneficiary to
the plant. Next, signal transduction occurs. This leads to auxin redistribution at the cellular level and finally, the
growth response occurs.

Tropisms are typically associated with plants (although not necessarily restricted to them).[a] Where an
organism is capable of directed physical movement (motility), movement or activity in response to a specific
stimulus is more likely to be regarded by behaviorists as a taxis (directional response) or a kinesis (non-
directional response).

In English, the word tropism is used to indicate an action done without cognitive thought: However, "tropism"
in this sense has a proper, although non-scientific, meaning as an innate tendency, natural inclination, or
propensity to act in a certain manner towards a certain stimulus.

In botany, the CholodnyWent model, proposed in 1927, is an early model describing tropism in emerging
shoots of monocotyledons, including the tendencies for the stalk to grow towards light (phototropism) and the
roots to grow downward (gravitropism). In both cases the directional growth is considered to be due to
asymmetrical distribution of auxin, a plant growth hormone.[1]

Contents
1 Types
2 See also
3 Notes
4 References
5 External links

Types
in plants (and bacteria)

Aerotropism, growth of plants towards or away from a source of oxygen

Chemotropism, movement or growth in response to chemicals
Electrotropism, movement or growth in response to an electric field
Exotropism, continuation of growth "outward," i.e. in the previously established direction
Geotropism (or gravitropism), movement or growth in response to gravity
 Apogeotropism, negative geotropism
Heliotropism, diurnal motion or seasonal motion of plant parts in
response to the direction of the sun, (e.g. the sunflower)
Apheliotropism, negative heliotropism
Hydrotropism, movement or growth in response to water. In
plants, the root cap senses differences in water moisture in the
soil, and signals cellular changes that causes the root to curve
towards the area of higher moisture.[2]
Prohydrotropism, positive hydrotropism
Hygrotropism, movement or growth in response to moisture or
humidity
Magnetotropism, movement or growth in response to magnetic
fields
Orthotropism, movement or growth in the same line of action as
the stimulus.
Plagiotropism, movement or growth at an angle to a line of
stimulus such as gravity or light.
Phototropism, movement or growth in response to lights or colors Example of gravitropism in the
of light remains of a cellar of a Roman villa in
Aphototropism, negative phototropism the Archeologic Park in Baia, Italy
Skototropism, negative phototropism of vines
Thermotropism, movement of growth in response to temperature
Thigmotropism, movement or growth in response to touch or contact

in viruses

Amphotropism, wide host range (e.g. infects many species or cell types)
Ecotropism, limited host range (e.g. infects only one species or cell type)
HIV tropism, the means of entry into cells used by a given strain of HIV
Neurotropism, a virus that preferentially infects the host's nervous system.

See also
Chemotaxis
Rapid plant movement

Notes
a. For example, some cells may not be conducive for the growth of virus,
a which determines its tropism. The stimulus of
light on insects may also be seen as a type ofethological tropism.

References
1. Haga, Ken; Takano, Makoto; Neumann, Ralf; Iino, Moritoshi (January 1, 2005). "The Rice COLEOPTILE
PHOTOTROPISM1 Gene Encoding an Ortholog of Arabidopsis NPH3 Is Required for Pho totropism of Coleoptiles and
Lateral Translocation of Auxin(W)"(http://www.plantcell.org/content/17/1/103.full). Plant Cell.
doi:10.1105/tpc.104.028357(https://doi.org/10.1105%2Ftpc.104.028357).
2. Cassab, Gladys I.; Eapen, Delfeena; Campos, Mara Eugenia (2013-01-01). "Root hydrotropism: An update"(http://ww
w.amjbot.org/content/100/1/14). American Journal of Botany. 100 (1): 1424. ISSN 0002-9122 (https://www.worldcat.o
rg/issn/0002-9122). PMID 23258371 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23258371). doi:10.3732/ajb.1200306(http
s://doi.org/10.3732%2Fajb.1200306).

External links

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Categories: Tropism Wiktionary, the free
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This page was last edited on 14 May 2017, at 14:15.
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