Topic Summaries

Tropisms

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  • Plants produce hormones called auxins to coordinate and control growth in response to light (phototropism) and gravity (gravitropism or geotropism).
  • Auxins are produced in the tips of shoots and roots.
  • Unequal distributions of auxin cause unequal growth rates in plant roots and shoots.

  • Phototropism:
    • Plant shoots grow towards the light (positive phototropism) to maximise the light absorbed for photosynthesis.
    • In shoots, auxin causes cell elongation.
    • Auxins will concentrate on the shaded side of the shoot, causing unequal growth that makes the shoot bend towards the light.
  • Gravitropism:
    • Plant roots grow downwards towards water (positive geotropism) in response to gravity, while plant shoots are negatively gravitropic.
    • In roots, auxin slows cell growth on the lower side, causing curvature downwards.

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