Sensitivity and movement in

plants : Tropisms
IGCSE Biology
Plants respond to their environment
• Plants respond to their environment – they show sensitivity
( irritability). Plat responses are rather slow to compared with those
of animals – plants respond to stimuli ( to changes in their
environment) by changing their growth patterns.
• These growth responses enable a plant to make the most of the
responses available in its environment.
• Plants respond to many stimuli, but two are of particular importance:
Light( the photo-stimuli) and Gravity( the gravi-stimulus). A growth
response carried out by a plant in response to the direction of a
stimulus is called a Tropism.
Plants respond to their environment
A Positive response is a growth movement towards the stimulus, and a
negative response is a growth movement away from the stimulus. For
example:
• A stem growing towards light is a positive phototropism
• A stem growing upwards (away from gravity) is a negative
gravitropism.
• A root growing downwards( away from light but upwards gravity) is a
positive gravitropism but a negative phototropism.
Plants respond to their environment
Roots are positively Gravitropic:
• They grow into the soil, which
provides a source of water and
mineral ions.
• They provide an extensive
system of support and
anchorage from the plant.
Plants respond to their environment
Shoots are positively
Phototropic:
• Leaves are in the optimum
position to absorb light energy
for photosynthesis.
• Flowers are lifted into the
position where they are most
likely to receive pollen. They
will be held out into the wind,
or may be more visible to
pollinating insects.
Phototropism is controlled by auxin
Growth is relatively slow response to a stimulus in animals and plants.
Growth in plants is controlled by plant hormones or plant growth
substances. These are sometimes grouped together as “auxin”, which
means “growth substance”. The following observations have been
made about auxin:
• If the tip of a young shoot is cut off, the shoot can no longer respond
to stimuli. This suggests that the tip produces the auxin.
• A shoot responding to a stimulus always bends just behind the tip.
The auxin appears to travel from the tip (where it is made) to a region
behind the tip (where it has its action).
Phototropism is controlled by auxin
• Auxin can diffuse back
from the tip and can be
collected in blocks or agar
jelly. These blocks can
then allow a decapitated
tip to respond to light.
• When shoot tips are
exposed to light from one
side, auxin accumulates
on the ‘dark’ side of the
shoot.
Thank you for your attention