Growth in plants

Growth

Understandings:
• Undifferentiated cells in the meristems of plants allow indeterminate growth.

• Mitosis and cell division in the shoot apex provide cells needed for extension of the stem and development of leaves.

• Plant hormones control growth in the shoot apex.

Tropisms

Plant shoots respond to the environment by tropisms.Click below and click on Exploring Plant Responses to see how tropism works​.

Auxin

Auxin efflux pumps can set up concentration gradients of auxin in plant tissue.

• Auxin influences cell growth rates by changing the pattern of gene expression.
Applications and skills:
• Application: Micropropagation of plants using tissue from the shoot apex, nutrient agar gels and growth hormones.

• Application: Use of micropropagation for rapid bulking up of new varieties, production of virus-free strains of existing varieties and propagation of orchids and other rare species.