Plant Tropisms Texas AM University植物向性德克萨斯ampM大学.pptVIP

Plant Tropisms What are we talking about? Tropism - directional growth of a plant, or part of a plant, in response to an external stimulus What are we talking about? Stimulus – an action or condition that causes a response Response – an action or condition that is a reaction to a stimulus Negative response – when the growth of a plant is away from the stimulus Positive response – when the growth of the plant is towards the stimulus Types of Tropism We are going to be studying 6 Tropisms: Hydrotropism Stimulus: Water Response: A plant’s roots grow towards the source of water Is this a positive or negative response? Thermotropism Stimulus: Temperature Response: a plant grows in the direction of/away from a source of heat or cold Example: In the first picture, this tree has a positive response to the cold. Example: A plant called a Rhododendron curls its leaves away when it experiences cold weather. Gravitropism Stimulus: Gravity Reaction: Positive – the roots grow downward, with gravity Negative – the stalk grows upward, against gravity Thigmotropism Stimulus: Touch Response – the leaves (or part of the plant that is touched) move or coil away from the touch, or trigger some other action Example: The Venus Fly Trap is a plant that shows thigmotropism. It closes when a bug or some other object touches it. Photropism Stimulus: Light Response – the plant grows in the direction of a unidirectional light (it only comes from one direction) What type of response is this? Heliotropism Stimulus: Sunlight Response – a plant grows or turns to face the direction of the sun Example: Young Sunflowers face the sun all day long. As the sun goes across the sky, the sunflower turns so that it is always facing it. Is a Sunflower growing towards the sun an example of Phototropism or Heliotropism? References Pictures: /textonly/act25/images/hydrotropism.gif /u48/roving_rube/largea.c.birch.jpg /jefrick/rhod.htm http://www.xtec.cat/~mherna23/summer03/amspot/picture/gravi