The Impact of Light Intensity on Phototropism

Background Information

Phototropism is the growth of an organism in a response to an external light source. It was

first understood by Darwin, who discovered the coleoptile was the main photoreceptor. This
information was developed by the Cholodny-Went hypothesis which determined, when
there is asymmetric light present, auxin will move to the shaded side promoting growth
towards the light. Even in 2012, Sakai and Haga created five models on how auxin could
move towards the shaded side of the stem. The topic of phototropism has been taught since
GCSEs and now understanding the topic further in Topic 9 has made me curious. The lack of
research into phototropism interested me, as it is such a clear visual adaptation in every
plant but is not completely understood in the 21st century, therefore I wanted to do an
experiment on an independent variable on phototropism.

Light intensity can be simply defined as the number of photons hitting a specific area. Light
intensity is a limiting factor for photosynthesis along carbon dioxide concentration and
temperature. This means that the intensity of light directly affects the growth of a plant,
therefore it could be assumed that it affected another biological process of a plant such as
phototropism. As phototropism is the growth of a plant, it means there are many potential
independent that affect its amount and rate. The inverse square law (1/distance 2) tells us
that light intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance.

Positive phototropism occurs in the stems of plants, directing the stem towards light. The
plant uses the plant hormone auxin as well as PIN proteins, which are plasma bound
proteins where the auxin are transported through. The most abundant auxin is indole 3-
acetic acid (Damon, A., McGonegal, R., Tosto, P. and Ward, W. 2014). Auxin is produced in
the apical meristem, at the top of the plant, from there they move down the stem through
PIN proteins. Auxin promotes cell elongation in the roots whilst at high concentrations it
limits the growth of lateral buds. Elongation occurs due to the process of auxin action, auxin
attaches to the receptor TIRI which produces cyclic AMP leading to the activation of a
protein pump that secretes H+ ions into the cell wall. The decrease in pH which causes the
cell wall to loosen as the bonds between the cellulose fibres break, an enzyme, expansin,
also increases the elasticity of the cell wall. (Cornell, B. 2016) Therefore, water enters the
cell and it becomes turgid, elongating the cell. The distribution of PIN proteins is dependent
on which side of the plant has the highest light intensity, with the PIN proteins moving
towards the dark side of the plant in order for auxin to move across. Phototropism allows a
plant to compete with others for sunlight meaning it can get as much light as possible. With
light being one of the main factors for plant survival, phototropism is key for a plant’s
survival in an ecosystem.

The species I have chosen to research is brassica juncea as it is practical to experiment on

and using them mean the research has a bigger global impact than other species. Mustard
seeds are small, meaning I can buy a lot and use a lot for the experiment, giving the
experiment more accuracy with a clear conclusion as anomalies will have less of an effect on
the actual results. Brassica juncea also grow tall and quickly after germination meaning it
will be easier to see and understand the phototropism which has taken place. Furthermore,
mustard is used throughout the world for eating and is used medicinally (Tropical Plants
Database, Ken Fern) outside the western world. This meant that brassica juncea was a
relevant and practical plant to use for my experiment into phototropism.

I have tried to design the experiment to be safe and in an appropriate way to conduct
research into the precise effect of light intensity on the degree of phototropism. Instead of
using lamps as my light source, I used natural light as it is the most common way to grow
plants, contextualising my experiment to a wider audience as well as that lamps pose a
safety risk if they overheat. In the analysis of the data from the experiment, I will show the
light intensities and degree of phototropism at each box on a graph. By following the inverse
square law there should be a logarithmic decrease of light intensity moving away from the
window, therefore, as light intensity is a limiting factor for photosynthesis and phototropism
is a growth in response to light, the logarithmic decrease should also apply to phototropism.