TROPISMS

are responses by part of a plant towards or away from a stimulus coming from one direction the movement is always a growth movement

Tropic responses can be:

Positive if growth is towards the stimulus Negative if growth is away from the stimulus
Growth

Growth

Gravity

Phototropism
is a growth response to light
Light

Geotropism
is a growth response to gravity

A shoot is:
NEGATIVELY GEOTROPIC
POSITIVELY PHOTOTROPIC

Advantages of a shoot growing:

Towards light: To trap more light for photosynthesis Away from gravity: shoot of a germinating seed grows out of the soil more chances for pollination & seed dispersal

A root is:
POSITIVELY GEOTROPIC NEGATIVELY PHOTOTROPIC

I am growing towards gravity, but where is the water????

Advantages of a root growing towards gravity:

To anchor the plant To search for water To ensure that the root of a germinating seed always grows downwards, whatever, the position of the seed in the soil

Study the pictures below and then complete the table by putting a plus (+) if the shoot or root grows towards the stimulus and a minus (-) if it grows away from it.

Stimulus
Light Shoot Root Gravity

Study the pictures below and then complete the table by putting a plus (+) if the shoot or root grows towards the stimulus and a minus (-) if it grows away from it.

Stimulus
Light Shoot Root Gravity

+ -

EXPERIMENTS USING OAT COLEOPTILES

A Coleoptile is a :
hollow, cylindrical sheath that surrounds the primary leaf of a germinating monocot seed
Coleoptile First leaf

Experiments on Oat Coleoptiles

cut & replaced tip dark box

few days later

decapitated

no growth

grows

Conclusion : The tip is responsible for growth

Experiments on Oat Coleoptiles

unilateral light

few days later

black covers

Conclusion : the tip is the place responsible for bending

Experiments on Oat Coleoptiles

dark box

agar plate

few days later

Conclusion : the head must have produced a diffusible chemical substance which stimulates growth

Experiments on Oat Coleoptiles

bending directions
bending directions

mica plate

Can the explanation still work ? the tip is put aside

Explanation of results : The side with the tip has a higher concentration of that particular chemical, the growth rate is faster than the other side

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING

Study the diagrams. What would you expect to happen and why.
The shoot with the covered tip grows (straight up / towards light) because it (can sense light / cannot sense light).

Study the diagrams. What would you expect to happen and why.
The shoot with the covered tip grows (straight up / towards light) because it (can sense light / cannot sense light).

The shoot with the exposed tip grows (straight up / towards light) because it (can sense light / cannot sense light).

The shoot with the exposed tip grows (straight up / towards light) because it (can sense light / cannot sense light).

Look at the diagrams below. What does this experiment tell you about the tip of the shoot and the part it plays in growth?

Tip produces chemicals for growth.

Look at the diagrams below. How would you explain the results of this experiment?

Bending resulted due to unequal amount of chemical . Light affects distribution of chemical.

AUXINS

Auxins
are plant hormones, or growth regulating chemicals produced in the root and shoot tips that affect growth

What is the effect of auxins on plant cells? Cells absorb water and elongate.

Three regions of a root tip

Cell differentiation region Cell elongation region Cell division region

Cells become specialised

Which region does auxin affect?

Cell differentiation region (cells change their shape; no effect by auxin)

Cell elongation region (auxin makes cells absorb water) Cell division region (root tip that makes auxin)

Explain why:
markings have moved away from each other ONLY in the lower region.

Cell elongation region

A shoot growing in even illumination grows straight up. Why?

auxin

Cells on both sides of the stem elongate equally.

A shoot growing in one-sided illumination.

A shoot growing in one-sided illumination grows towards light. How is it possible?

Cells on the two sides of the stem GROW UNEQUALLY!!

Remember: UNEQUAL growth of stem sides results in BENDING of stem

Shaded side of stem: cells elongate
Light

Lighted side: normal size of cells

Describe how a shoot bends towards one-sided illumination.

Auxins are produced at the ___________ shoot tip and diffuse down the stem. shaded side of More auxin collects on the ____________ the stem. Auxins cause the cells to absorb water and so elongate in the cell elongation region. Thus the ___________ shaded side grows more than the lighted one. This results in bending of the stem towards light.

Auxins sometimes stop growth

auxin passes down the stem and prevents side branches growing out

so the plant grows tall and straight

 If the top is cut off from the plant: flow of auxin stops side branches will grow out

 Sometimes gardeners cut the tops off plants to make them more bushy

QUESTION: MAY, 2009

Give a biological explanation for each of the following statements: cutting off the tip of a shoot will stop the shoot from getting taller but it will increase bushiness; (3)

EXPERIMENTS TO SHOW:
1. 2. 3. 4. Geotropism in a shoot Geotropism in pea radicles Phototropism in oat coleoptiles Phototropism in a shoot
All make use of an apparatus called: clinostat

Clinostat: a motor rotates slowly

to make factors uniform (evenly distributed) for control experiments contains a cork disc which can be set to

rotate in a vertical or horizontal plane by a motor

AIM: To show geotropism in a plant shoot. The apparatus was APPARATUS:

left for 3 days.

CONTROL

Give a precaution for this experiment. Even illumination.

Why did the shoot attached to the clinostat grow horizontally ?

As shoot rotated, gravity acted on all sides. No unilateral stimulus to respond to.

AIM: To show geotropism in pea radicles. APPARATUS:

The apparatus was left for 3 days.

QUESTION: MAY, 2005

A biology student wanted to test whether the position in which seeds are placed in the soil affects the direction of shoot and root growth. Design a simple experiment which the student can use to carry out this investigation.(5)

 Seeds of the same type are placed at different orientations in a single container. A similar container is set up as a replicate. Left in darkness for a few days. Radicles are observed.

QUESTION: MAY, 2005

When growing plants from cuttings, farmers usually dip the cutting into Rooting Hormone powder before planting it in the soil. Briefly explain how this increases the chances of successful plant growth. (2)

Roots are stimulated to form. Thus plant can absorb more water and ions for growth.

AIM: To show phototropism in oat coleoptiles. APPARATUS:

METHOD: 1. Thirty oat grains were soaked in water for 1 day. 2. Ten grains were placed in each of three small pots of compost and left to germinate. 3. When grown to a height of 1cm, they were treated as follows: One set was covered with a large box, excluding light; Another set was covered with a box with a slit at the side, allowing one-sided illumination; The control was left in the light. 4. The pots were left at room temperature for a few days.

RESULT: In the dark: coleoptiles were yellow, straight and very long. In one-sided illumination: coleoptiles bent towards the light. In the light: coleoptiles were green, straight and shorter than those in the dark. CONCLUSION: The coleoptiles responded to the stimulus of onesided illumination by growing towards it. Coleoptiles are positively phototropic. Light is needed for chlorophyll to form.

AIM: To show phototropism in a shoot. APPARATUS:

A B

unilateral light

unilateral light

light-proof box

clinostat

unilateral light

unilateral light

light-proof box

clinostat

What has happened to the shoots of plants A and B ? The shoots in pot A respond by growing towards the light source. The shoot in pot B do not show any curvature but grow vertically upwards...

unilateral light

unilateral light

light-proof box

clinostat

What is the effect of the clinostat on the shoot of plant B ?

The revolving clinostat cancel out the effect of unilateral light on the shoot of plant B.

VIEW THE ACTUAL EXPERIMENT IN THE NEXT 3 SLIDES

Question: MAY, 2006

5. The experiment shows the effect of a stimulus on the growth of a root and a shoot. The seedlings were kept in the dark throughout the experiment.

a) Continue the diagram to show the direction of growth of the shoot and root in: i) the stationary ii) rotating clinostat. (4)

b) What type of stimulus response is exhibited by the seedlings? (1) Positive geotropism. c) Why were the seedlings kept in the dark? (2) Any changes observed would be due to gravity. d) Name the substance produced by the plant which brings about the growth changes. (1) Auxin

e) This experiment was

investigated in an orbiting spacecraft where weightlessness is observed. Predict the results obtained in this situation. (1)

Grow in all directions.

Under which condition (light/dark) was each seedling of bean grown?

Grown in the light

Grown in the dark

dark
What is the advantage of a longer stem in seedlings grown in the dark?

light

Four differences between a seedling growing in the light & another in the dark.
In the light In the dark 1. Short, thick stem long, thin stem 2. Green shoot yellow shoot

Four differences between a seedling growing in the light & another in the dark.
In the light 3. Broad leaves 4. Short internode In the dark small leaves long internode

QUESTION: MAY, 2009

Give a biological explanation for each of the following statements: the internodes of a shoot growing in the dark are longer than the internodes of a shoot growing in the light; (3)

Differences in the response shown by:

A shoot in unilateral light A hand touching a hot object

Differences in the response shown by:

A shoot in unilateral light A hand touching a hot object 1. Response in positive. 1. Response is negative 2. Slow response. 2. Rapid response 3. Response involves 3. No growth involved growth. 4. Response does not 4. Response involves involve muscles and muscles and nerves. nerves.