Fundamentals of Botany Laboratory

Module 9: Plant Hormones and Tropisms

Activity No. 09
PLANT HORMONES AND TROPISMS

9A. PLANT HORMONES

INTRODUCTION
Hormones are chemicals that plant tissues use to communicate. These substances are
produced in one location but affect cells in another location. Generally, plant hormones are
transported through the plant vascular system, but some, including ethylene, are released into
the gaseous form.
Ethylene is produced and released by rapidly growing plant tissues. The growing tips of
roots, flowers, damaged tissue, and ripening fruit release it. Included among its various effects
are fruit ripening and leaf abscission. Ripening converts the starch component of the fruit into
simple sugar that imparts sweetness to the fruit. Animals are attracted to sweeter (ripened) fruits
than unripe ones and are likely to eat them and disperse the seeds as a result. Ethylene initiates
the reaction that involves the conversion of starch into simple sugar.
The presence of starch in a substance may be confirmed using iodine solution. This
solution binds to starch, but not to simple sugar. The iodine-starch complex turns dark colored.
You can estimate how ripe a fruit is by whether or not it is darkened after staining it with an iodine
solution. Unripe fruit is starchy, so it turns dark. Ripe fruit, on the other hand, with most of its
starch converted to simple sugar, will appear lighter.
Another plant hormone is auxin. Auxins are produced in the shoot apical meristem and
are also found in young leaves and in flowers and fruits. Auxin causes the growth of roots and
fruits and prevents the loss of leaves and fruit (Mader and Windelspecht, 2013). Synthetic auxins
are used today in a number of applications which benefit farmers and crop producers.

OBJECTIVE

1. To measure fruit ripening caused by the plant hormone ethylene using the Iodine
test.
2. To demonstrate the effect of ethylene on leaf abscission.
3. To demonstrate the effect of auxin on axillary shoot formation.

MATERIALS

5 unripe bananas 5 iron stand Iodine solution

2 ripe bananas 5 iron ring plastic tray
1 ripe tomato string knife
young Mayana plants 6 Ziplock bags scissors

PROCEDURE

A. Effect on Ripening

Preparing the control and test groups.

1. Hang one unripe banana fruit.
2. Place one unripe banana in a sealable plastic bag, then hang.
3. Place one unripe, bruised banana in a sealable plastic bag, then hang.
4. Place one unripe and one ripe bananas in a sealable plastic bag, then hang.
 Fundamentals of Botany Laboratory
Module 9: Plant Hormones and Tropisms

5. Place one unripe and one ripe, bruised/wounded bananas in a sealable plastic, then hang.
6. Record your observation of the initial appearance of the fruits.
7. Observe and record the changes to the appearance of the fruits daily.
8. On the 8th day, test the fruits for starch by staining them with the iodine solution.

Staining
1. Pour the iodine stain into the bottom of the shallow tray so that it fills the tray about half a
centimeter deep.
2. Cut the banana fruit (cross section) and set the fruit into the tray, with the cut surface in the
stain.
3. Allow the fruits to absorb the stain for one minute.
4. Remove the fruit and rinse the face with water. Record the data for the fruit, then repeat the
procedure for the other banana fruits.
5. Add more stain to the tray, as needed.
6. Examine the stained fruits. You may wish to take photographs or draw pictures. The best
way to compare the data is to set up some sort of scoring. Compare the levels of staining for
unripe versus ripe fruit. The unripe fruit should be heavily stained, while fully ripe or rotting
fruit should be unstained.
7. You may wish to make a scoring chart, showing staining levels for unripe, ripe, and several
intermediate levels. At a minimum, score your fruit as unripe (0), somewhat ripe (1), and fully
ripe (2). This way, you are assigning a quantitative value to the data so you can average the
value for ripeness of the control and test groups and can present the result in graph.
8. Record your observation (Table 9.1) and answer the guide questions.

B. Effect of ethylene on abscission

1. Prepare two sealable bags. In one bag, place a plant cutting then seal. In the other bag,
place the other plant cutting together with a ripe tomato, then seal.
2. Observe for changes within a period of eight (8) days. Record your observation (Table 9.2)
and answer the guide questions.

C. Effect of auxin on axillary shoot formation

1. Each group will be given a young Mayana plant. Cut all apical buds off the plant. Be sure to
place it in an area where it can receive sunlight. Continue to water the plant.
2. Observe for changes for a period of one week. Record your observation (Table 9.3) and
answer the guide questions.

REFERENCES

Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Available at http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryexperiments

ethyleneexp.htm

Mader SS and Windelspecht M. 2013. Biology. 11th International ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Moore R, Clark WD, Vodopich DS, Stern KR, and Lewis R. 2003. Botany. 2nd ed. Boston, Mass:
WCB/McGraw-Hill.
 Fundamentals of Botany Laboratory
Module 9: Plant Hormones and Tropisms

Enabling Assessment 9A. PLANT HORMONES

Name Date
Teacher CYS
Points 50 points Time Score
Allotment

Table 9.1. Observation on the effect of ethylene on ripening (7 points).

Day 1 Day 8

Set-up 1

Set-up 2

Set-up 3

Set-up 4

Set-up 5

Table 9.2. Observation on the effect of ethylene on leaf abscission (5 points).

Day 1 Day 8

Set-up
1

Set-up
2

Table 9.3. Observation for the effect of auxin on axillary shoot formation (5 points).

Observation

Mayana set-up
 Fundamentals of Botany Laboratory
Module 9: Plant Hormones and Tropisms

Interpretation of results (3 points):

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Guide Questions:

1. Was the ripening of the fruit unaffected by storing it with ripe banana? What is the
significance of this result (3 points)?
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2. What are some of the triggers for ethylene production by plants (3 points)?
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3. How does the presence of ethylene affect fruit ripening (3 points)?

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4. What are the chemical and physical changes that occur as fruit ripens (3 points)?
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5. How can an iodine stain be used to distinguish between ripe and unripe fruit (2 point)?
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 Fundamentals of Botany Laboratory
Module 9: Plant Hormones and Tropisms

6. How does ethylene affect leaf abscission and fruit ripening (3 points)?
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7. Aside from ripening and abscission, what are the other effects of ethylene in plants (3
points)?
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8. Aside from axillary shoot formation, what are other effects on auxin in plants other than those
stated above (5 points)?
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Conclusion/s (3 points):
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Reference/s (2 points):
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 Fundamentals of Botany Laboratory
Module 9: Plant Hormones and Tropisms

9B. TROPISMS

INTRODUCTION

Plants have the ability to respond to different physical and environmental stimuli. These
responses are called tropisms which are actually growth responses in plants toward or away from
unidirectional stimuli, such as light, gravity, water, air and touch among others. Plant responses
are also influenced by the different plant hormones. Plants sometimes exhibit circadian rhythms.
Some plant responses controlled by lengths of daylight involve the pigment phytochrome (Mader
and Windelspecht, 2013).

OBJECTIVE

To demonstrate plant responses as affected by light and gravity.

MATERIALS

young potted plant shoebox

masking tape cardboards
scissors black cartolina/paper

PROCEDURE

1. Cut a large hole at one end of the shoebox.

2. Cut two pieces of cardboards to be used as opposite partitions inside the box.
3. Tape the cardboards following the illustration/photograph that will be provided by your teacher.
4. Cover the inside of the box with black cartolina or any black paper.
5. Place the small potted plant in the shoebox opposite the hole, make sure that it is well watered.
6. Close the box, tape it, and place it in a sunny window. From time to time, check if there is a
need to water the plant. Observe the results after one week.
7. Answer the guide questions provided.

REFERENCES

Mader SS and Windelspecht M. 2013. Biology. 11th International ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Lindsay VanSomeren. Experiment: How do plants “see” light? Published May 2016. Available
at https://untamedscience.com/biology/plants/phototropism/

https://growsomegood.org/2017/11/lesson-garden-phototropism/
 Fundamentals of Botany Laboratory
Module 9: Plant Hormones and Tropisms

Enabling Assessment 9B. TROPISMS

Name Date
Teacher CYS
Points 35 points Time Score
Allotment

OBSERVATION

Describe the behavior of the plant after one week. Provide illustration of the result (10).

GUIDE QUESTIONS

1. What plant response was demonstrated in the activity? Discuss your answer (5 points).

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 Fundamentals of Botany Laboratory
Module 9: Plant Hormones and Tropisms

2. Why did the plant behave that way (5 points)?

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3. Give other responses that plant exhibits with different stimuli. Explain and give example
for each (10 points).
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CONCLUSION (3 points)
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REFERENCE/S (2 points)
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