Topic 9.3: Growth in Plants

TOPIC 9.
3: GROWTH IN PLANTS
In the Growth in Plants unit we will learn how plants grow
and develop from meristematic tissue. You will also learn
how plant hormones such as auxins can affect this tissue
by influencing gene expression. Last we will look at how
the meristem of plants can be manipulated to grow whole
plants in a technique known as micropropagation.
U 1 Undifferentiated cells in the meristems of plants allow
indeterminate growth. Define indeterminate growth and
totipotent.
 Statethat most plants have indeterminate

growth and have totipotent cells.
 Define meristem.
 Compare apical and lateral meristems
 Meristem tissues in all plants consist of
undifferentiated cells (meristematic cells)
that generate new cells for plant growth.
Plant growth is generally indeterminate,
which means cells will continue to grow
indefinitely
Many plant cells, even fully differentiated
types, can generate whole new plants
containing cells that are totipotent. This
characteristic sets plants apart from most
animals. Meristems are areas where growth
occurs and are composed of undifferentiated
cells undergoing active cell division. Apical
meristems are at the tips of the roots and
stems. They are responsible for primary
growth of the plant. Lateral meristems are
responsible for secondary growth (increasing
the diameter and thickness of the plant).
Dicot plants have apical (primary growth) and
lateral (secondary growth) meristems.
U 2 Mitosis and cell division in the shoot apex provide cells
needed for extension of the stem and development of leaves.
 Cells in the meristems undergo mitosis repeatedly to

produce new cells and growth in a plant. Root meristems
are responsible for growth and extension of the root.
 Shoot meristems creates cells responsible for shoot
growth, but also create cells that will develop into
flowers and leaves.
 Apical meristems create additional meristems including
protoderm (forms epidermis), procambium (forms vascular
tissue) and ground meristem (forms pith).
 Leaf primordia forms leaves
U 3 Plant hormones control growth in
the shoot apex
 State the generic function of plant hormones.
 Outline how auxin concentrations regulate plant growth in the root and stem.
 Outline the role of auxin in apical dominance.
Hormones are chemical messages produced
and released by one part of an organism that
has an effect in another location
U 4 Plant shoots respond to the
environment by tropisms.
 State two external factors that control the growth
of roots and stems.
 Define tropism, phototropism and gravitropism.
 A tropism is growth or
movement towards or away
from an external stimulus,
such as light, gravity or
chemicals. Gravitropism is
growth in response to gravity
 Phototropism is growth
towards or away from an
external light source.
 Generally in plants, shoots
grow towards the light
(positive phototropism) and
roots grow away from the
light (negative phototropism).
 Phototropism is essential for
plants to make sure they grow
towards the sunlight.
U 5 Auxin efflux pumps can set up concentration
gradients of auxin in plant tissue.
 Outline how PIN-transport proteins can direct direction of auxin flow.

 Explain how auxin concentrations allow for phototropism in the stem.
 Explain how auxin concentrations allow for gravitropism in the root.
 Auxins are plant hormones that promote positive
phototropism in plants. Auxin only work on plant cells
with auxin receptors and increase the flexibility of
plant cell walls in developing shoots. This enables cell
elongation on the side of the shoot necessary to cause
growth towards the light
If the amount of sunlight is greater on one side of the

plant, the phototropins trigger reactions that will
cause the redistribution of auxin by efflux pumps to
the dark side of the plant. High concentrations of
auxins cause cells on the shaded side of the cell to
swell and elongate. When auxin binds to a receptor in
the nucleus , this activates a proton pump. The proton
pump moves H+ ions into spaces in the cell wall,
decreasing the pH. This results in the breaking of the
hydrogen bonds between cellulose fibres, resulting in
the swelling and elongation of these cells. As the cells
elongate and swell on one side of the plant the stem
starts to curve towards the light source because of this
uneven growth. The plant now is growing towards the
light source (phototropism).
http://www.kscience.co.uk/animations/auxin.htm
U 6 Auxin influences cell growth rates by
changing the pattern of gene expression.
 Auxin is a plant hormone and influences

cell growth rates by changing the
pattern of gene expression with a
plant’s cells. Auxin’s mechanism of
action is different in shoots and roots as
different gene pathways are activated
in each tissue. Auxin moved to side of
stem with least light/darker side
causing cells on dark side to
elongate/cells on dark side grow faster.
The gene expression is altered by auxin
to promote cell growth.
A 1 Micropropagation of plants using tissue from the
shoot apex, nutrient agar gels and growth hormones.
 Define micropropagation.
 Outline how changing auxin and cytokinin ratios can lead to development of
roots or shoots from the same explant tissue.
 Micro propagation is a rapid multiplication of a
selected plant using in vitro culture techniques.
 The propagation of selected plant through micro
propagation would be useful for raising plantation
using apical and nodal segment.
 They are best for micro propagation and mostly
result in true to type plants.
 These segments upon the subsequent subcultures
result in a number of multiple shoots.
 These multiple shoots on elongation allowed to
root in vitro.
 After rooting, they are in vitro hardened and
transferred to field.
 Meristem culture In Meristem culture the
Meristem and a few subtending leaf primordial
are placed into a suitable growing media

Callus culture A callus is mass of
undifferentiated parenchymatous cells. When a
living plant tissue is placed in an artificial
growing medium with other conditions favorable,
callus is formed
 Suspension culture A cell suspension culture
refers to cells and or groups of cells dispersed
and growing in an aerated liquid culture medium
 Embryo culture In embryo culture, the embryo is
excised and placed into a culture medium with
proper nutrient in aseptic condition.
 Protoplast culture In protoplast culture, the
plant cell can be isolated with the help of wall
degrading enzymes and growth in a suitable
culture medium in a controlled condition for
regeneration of plantlets.
A 2 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.
 Micropropagation can be used to produce disease-free plants.
 It can have an extraordinarily high fecundity rate, producing thousands of propagules while
conventional techniques might only produce a fraction of this number.
 It is the only viable method of regenerating genetically modified cells or cells after protoplast
fusion.
 It is useful in multiplying plants which produce seeds in uneconomical amounts, or when plants
are sterile and do not produce viable seeds or when seed cannot be stored (see recalcitrant
seeds).
 Micropropagation often produces more robust plants, leading to accelerated growth compared to
similar plants produced by conventional methods - like seeds or cuttings.
 Some plants with very small seeds, including most orchids, are most reliably grown from seed in
sterile culture.
 A greater number of plants can be produced per square meter and the propagules can be stored
longer and in a smaller area.

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TOPIC 9.

 Statethat most plants have indeterminate

 Cells in the meristems undergo mitosis repeatedly to

 Outline how PIN-transport proteins can direct direction of auxin flow.

If the amount of sunlight is greater on one side of the

 Auxin is a plant hormone and influences

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