Plant g

growth and development

p
… Growth
† Irreversibleincrease in size, results from cell division
and cell enlargement
… Morphogenesis
† Development
p of form
Development
† Sum of all of the changes that PROGRESSIVELY
elaborate an organism’s body
Nutritional requirements
q
… CO2
… Mineral nutrients- essential chemical elements
absorbed from the soil in the form of inorganic ions
† H20*

† minerals
Essential nutrients
… Required for a plant to grow from a seed and
complete the life cycle
… No other elem can replace it
… It has a direct or indirect action in plt metab
… 17 essential nutrients
† Macronutrients -9
† Micronutrients – 8

e
Macronutrients
… Required in large amounts
… Produces the body of the plant
… Carrying out essential physiological processes
… 9 macronutrients (CHONPSKCaMg)
1. CARBON
2. HYDROGEN
3. OXYGEN
4. NITROGEN
5. PHOSPHORUS
6. SULFUR
7. POTASSIUM
8. CALCIUM
9. MAGNESIUM
1
1. CARBON - CO2
2. HYDROGEN - H2O
3
3. OXYGEN - CO2
CHO
-major
j component off plant’s
l ’ organic
i compounds
d
ELEMENT FORM AVAILABLE MAJOR FUNCTIONS
IN PLANTS

Nitrogen NO3- , NH4+ Component of nucleic acids, proteins, hormones,

and coenzymes

Sulfur SO4-2 Component of proteins, coenzymes

Phosphorus H2PO4-, HPO42- Component of nucleic acid, phospholipids, ATP,

several coenzymes

Potassium K+ Cofactor that functions in protein synthesis; major

solute in water balance; operation of stomata

Calcium Ca2+ Stability of cell walls, maintaining membrane

structure and permeability; enzyme cofactor,
regulating stimulus response
Magnesium Mg2+ Enzyme activator; component chlorophyll
Micronutrients
… Required in very small amounts
… Usually cofactors for enzymes; can be recycled
… 8 micronutrients
1. IIron
2. Chlorine
3. Copper
4. Manganese
5. Zinc
6
6. Molybdenum
7. Boron
8. Nickel
ELEMENT AVAILABLE FORM MAJOR FUNCTIONS
IN PLANTS
Chlorine
C o e C-
Cl Essential
sse a in water
wa e splitting;
sp g; wa
water
e balance
ba a ce

Iron Fe 3+; Fe 2+ Activator of some enzymes; form parts of

cytochromes
h and
d nitrogenase; for
f chlorophyll
hl h ll
synthesis
Boron H2BO3- For chlorophyll synthesis; may be involved in nucleic
acid synthesis,
synthesis CHO transport and membrane
integrity
Manganese Mn2+ Activator of some enzymes; active in the formation
of amino acids
acids’ required in water splitting; integrity
of chloroplast membrane
Zinc Zn2+ Activator of some enzymes; formation of chlorophyll

Copper Cu2+, Cu+ Activator of some enzymes involved in redox

reactions; component of lignin-biosynthetic enzymes

Molybdenum MoO422- Nitrogen fixation and nitrate reduction

Nickel Ni2+ Cofactor for an enzyme that functions in nitrogen

metabolism
Mineral Deficiency
y
1. Function
… Chlorosis- yellowing of leaves

† Deficiency in Mg or Fe
2. Mobility
… Mg-
Mg highly mobile
† Symptoms of deficiency Æ show up 1st in older organs
… F immobile
Fe- i bil
† Symptoms of deficiency Æ show up in younger organs
Assignment
g
… Make a list of deficiency symptoms of essential
elements
The role of soil bacteria in nitrogen
nutrition
t iti
Plant hormones coordinate growth, development and
responses to stimuli

… Hormone
… Greek word “to excite”
… A small molecule that carries information from the
cell where it was produced to a particular target
cells, causing a change in response to internal needs
or external stimuli
… Minute concentrations are required
… Reaction to hormone: not on amounts but on relative
concentration compared to other hormones
Signal-transduction
g pathwayy
p
Auxin

… Major site: shoot apical meristem

… Can be found also in embryo of seed,
seed young leaves
… Movement: Polar transport: unidirectional
… Natural
Na u a au
auxin:: Indoleacetic
do eace c acid
ac d (IAA)
( )
… Higher concÆ inhibit cell elongation (due to synthesis of
ethylene- inhibitor of plant growth)
… Synthetic auxins:
† Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA)
† 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic
2 4 di hl h ti acid
id (2,4
(2 4 D)
D)- herbicide
h bi id
„ Agent Orange
Auxin
… Major function:
† cell elongation
† root growth (adventitious roots)

† differentiation and branching

† Fruit development
p (seeds
( synthesize
y auxin))
† Apical dominance

† Phototropism
p and gravitropism
g p
Acid g
growth hypothesis
yp
Cytokinin
y
… Stimulate cytokinesis or cell division
… Discovered from coconut milk
Cytokinin
y
… Sites: growing tissues in roots, embryos and fruits
… Major functions
† Celldivision and differentiation
† Counteracting apical dominance

† Delaying aging of leaves

Role of cytokinin
y and auxin
Gibberellins
… Cell elongation and seed
germination
… Derived its name from
Gibberella, a fungus
… Site: apical meristems; young
leaves and embryos

bolting
Gibberellins
Major functions:
… Stem elongation

† GA – facilitate movement of expansins into correct position

in cell wall
… Reverse dwarfism
… Seed germination
g
† Stimulate production of alpha-amylase
… Juvenility
… Promotes flowering
† Biennials flower in their first year
… F i fformation
Fruit i -- increases
i size
i off ffruits
i
Abscisic Acid
… Terpenoid hormone
… Sites: leaves, stems, roots and green fruit
… Slows growth
† seeddormancy
† Dormant buds,
buds inhibits cell division of vascular cambium
… Stress hormones
† Closesstomata
† Water shortage can stress the root system Æ
production of ABA Æ transported to leaves
Ethylene
y
… Gaseous form
… Initiated by high concentrations of AUXIN
… ripening fruits
fruits, nodes of stems
stems, senescent leaves and
flowers
Ethylene
y
Major functions
… Represses growth in length while stimulating
expansion in width
… Ethylene production: stimulated by touch, wind or

any damage
… Growth maneuver: triple response

1
1. Slowing of stem or root elongation
2. Thickening of root or stem
3. Curving to grow horizontally
Ethylene
y
Major functions:
… Abscission of leaves

… Senescence/ aging

† Progression of irreversible change that eventually leads

to death
† Related to fruit ripening and leaf abscission

… Fruit ripening
† Chlorophyll degradation
† Softening of fruit
Brassinosteroids
… Newlyy discovered
… Steroid
… First discovered in Brassica, which includes cabbage
… Bind to receptor protein the plasma membrane
… Act like auxin
† Stimulate cell division and elongation in stems
† Cause differentiation of xylem cells
† Pollen tube growth

… Slow root growth

… Delay leaf abscission
Additional phytohormones
p y
… Polyamines
y
† Celldivision and synthesis of DNA, RNA, and proteins
† Root initiation and tuber formation
† Development of embryos, flowers and fruit

… Jasmonic acid
† Fatty acid
† Inhibits growth of seeds, pollen and roots
† Promotes
P t accumulation
l ti off proteins
t i iin seeds
d
† Stimulates formation of flower, fruit and seed
† Plant defense
Growth responses
I.I TTropisms
i
… Growth response that result in curvature of plant
organs TOWARD
OWA or AWAY AWA from
f stimuli
… Negative and positive tropism
A. Phototropism
h
B. Gravitropism
C. Th
Thigmotropism
D. Heliotropism
E. H d
Hydrotropism
i
F. Chemotropism
A. Phototropism
p - light
g
… Influenced by IAA
… Movement of auxin to
darker side
… Ensures that leaves &
stem will intercept light
for photosyn
 B. Gravitropism
gravity
it
… Controlled by y Ca &
IAA
… Results in stems
growing up while
roots grow down
… Ensures that roots
will encounter
water & minerals
 C. Thigmotropism
g p – touch
… Involves ethylene
y
… Release of ethylene
inhibits g
growth on
the side that touches
an object
… Allows plts to climb
obj. inc. plts chances
of intercepting light
for photosyn
Growth responses
II N
II. Nastic
ti movements
t
… direction of response independent of direction of
stimulus
… Seismonasty – a nastic movement resulting fr contact
or mech disturbances such as shaking
Growth responses
II N
II. Nastic
ti movements
t
… Seismonasty
… Nyctinasty- sleeping movements
nastic response caused daily rhythms of light & dark
Growth responses
III Ph
III. Photoperiodism
t i di
… Photoperiod relative lengths of night and day
Photoperiod-
… Response to changes in the photoperiod
… Detected by phytochrome and cryptochromes
† Shortday plants- poinsettias
† Long day plants-
plants clover
† Day neutral plants- corn, impatiens