REGULATION OF PLANT GROWTH

Plant growth is influenced by a number of external

and internal factors.

The external factors affecting

plant growth are:
light
temperature
humidity
oxygen
carbon dioxide
soil water and soil nutrients
pressure (altitude)
gravity
Plant Hormones

Most plant hormones are made in minute quantities by

actively dividing tissues at the tips of roots and stems. Once
produced, they are transported to various parts of the plant.
The most important plant hormones are;
Auxins
Giberrelins
Cytokinins
Ethylene
AUXINS
Hormones that affect the plant growth are called
auxins. They may stimulate or slow growth,
depending on the type of the tissue and the amount
of hormone.
Auxins are synthesized mainly in shoot meristem.
These hormones increase plant growth by
stimulating cells to lengthen.
In addition they cause cell to differentiate.
Auxins also affect the process of abscission the
dropping off of leaves, flowers, or fruits from a plant.
AUXINS
GIBBERELLINS
Hormones that affect the plant growth and
development of fruits and seeds are called
gibberellins.
Unlike auxins, they are distributed evenly
throughout the plants tissues.
They have important effects on stem growth.
Commercially they are used to stimulate
flowering and to increase fruit size.
CYTOKININS

Cytokinins stimulate cell division and

growth during seed germination.
They are thought to work together with
auxins in stimulating cell differentiation.
ETHYLENE
Ethylene, is a gas that plays role, along
with auxins, in abscission.
It also stimulates the ripening of many
fruits and controls aging of the plant.
AUXINS and TROPISM
The growth of a plant in a specific
direction in response to a stimulus is
called a tropism.
Plant growth or movement toward a
stimulus is called positive tropism, while
movement away from a stimulus is called
negative tropism.
AUXINS and TROPISM
The stem of a plant
that is growing
toward the light is
an example of
positive
phototropism.
Roots, show
negative
phototropism.
Phototropism
AUXINS and TROPISM
Roots generally
show positive
geotropism- they
grown down into the
ground in the
direction of the force
of gravity. Stems
show negative
geotropism.
Geotropism
Corn geotropism
Tropism, negative response to gravity Onion
(Allium cepa)
AUXINS and TROPISM
When the tendrils of a grapevine wind
themselves around the stem of another
plant, they are showing
thigmotropism- growth in response to
touch.
AUXINS and TROPISM
Hydrotropism is observed in plants whose
roots grow toward water.
AUXINS and TROPISM
The growth responses seen in tropism
are thought to be caused by uneven
distribution of auxins in the affected plant
parts.
In the positive photoperiodism of stems, for example, the
concentration of auxins becomes higher on the shaded
side of the stem than on the lighted side. Thus, the cells
on the shaded side grow faster than the cells on the
lighted side. The uneven rates of growth on opposite
sides of the stem result in bending toward the side less
rapid growth. In this case the stem bends toward the
light.
NASTIC MOVEMENTS
A plant movement that is in response
to a stimulus but independent of the
direction of the stimulus is called nastic
movement.
Most nastic movements involve
changes in the internal pressure or turgor
pressure of specific cells.
Rapid movements
such as closing
leaves involve
changes in the turgor
pressure in cells
Venus flytrap
 PHOTOPERIODISM
The flowering of many plants is in response to changes in the
length of day over the course of the year.

The response of a plant to changes in the length of day or

night is called photoperiodism.

(Photoperiodism is the non-directional developmental

responses to non-directional but periodic light stimuli.)

In many types of plants, flowering and other processes, such

as leaf abscission, are controlled photoperiodically.
 Short-day plants Long-day plants
Plants that flower during Plants that flower
short days (or long-night during short days were
plants). called (or short-night
They require long periods plants).
of darkness in order to They flower when
flower. there are short periods
These plants flower in the of darkness.
early spring. These plants usually
ex: Morning glory, tulip, bloom in the summer.
chrysanthemum and aster ex: clover, potato,
beet, poppy and
gladiolus.
Short-day plants
Long-day plants
 Day-neutral plants

Plants whose flowering

is unaffected by the
lengths of light and dark.
These plants have long
flowering season.
ex: tomato, cucumber,
dandelion, strawberry,
string bean and corn.