CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENCITY

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT S.JAYASURIYA OF CLASS XI-B OF

KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA CLRI ADYAR HAS SUCCESSFULLY
CARRIED OUT THE INVESTIGATORY PROJECT ENTITLED
“ STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF LIGHT AND GRAVITY ON PLANT
GROWTH MOVEMENT “ UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF
BIOLOGY TEACHER MRS. SREEJA FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR
2018-2019.

ALL THE WORKS RELATED TO THE PROJECT IS DONE BY THE

CANDIDATE HIMSELF. THE APPROACH TOWARDS THE SUBJECT
HAS BEEN SINCERE AND SCIENTIFIC.

ROLL NO. DATE :

Signature (Subject teacher) Signature (Examiner)

 INDEX

1 INTRODUCTION
2 EXPERIMENT -1.1
3 EXPERIMENT -1.2
4 EXPERIMENT -1.3
5 EXPERIMENT -1.4
6 THEORY
7 APPARATUS
8 PROCEDURE (with pictures)
9 OBSEVARTION
10 CONCLUTION
11 REFERENCE
 INVESTIGATORY PROJECT
STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF LIGHT AND GRAVITY ON
PLANT GROWTH MOVEMENT

INTRODUCTION
 All plants show movements though they are fixed. They
show movement of their parts. Such movements are not
apparent except when observed after a time interval. They can,
however be seen with the help of time lapse cameras.
Movements of parts in the fixed plants i are called curvature
movements. Movements are caused as a result of some
internal or external change. The former are called autonomic
movements while the latter are known as paratonic (induced)
movements. Plant movements are broadly classified into two
categories :
1. Growth movement, and
2. Turgor movement
1. Growth movements. They are curvature movements caused
by differential or un-equal growth in plant organs resulting in
bending, twisting of the latter.
2. Turgor movements. They are caused by differential changes
in turgor of some cells. The rolling of leaves of many grasses in
dry weather is caused by the loss of turgor of bulliform cells in
the epidermis.
The growth movements which are induced by external stimuli
are called trophic movements. The trophic movements are
always related to the direction of the stimuli. They are often
observed in cylindrical organs. The response of plant organs to
the source of light is called phototropism. Stem grows toward
the light and is, therefore, termed positively phototrophic. The
response of plant organs in the form of curvature movement in
response to the force of gravity is called geotropism. Roots
grow towards the force of gravity and are, therefore, described
as positively geotropic.
 EXPERIMENT P – 1.1
To study the effect of light on plant growth movement.

MATERIALS REQUIRED
Two pots, soil, mustard seeds, heliotropic chamber or a big
card board box with a hole on one side, water, etc.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
1 Prepare two pots by filling them with soil. Sow a few
(2-3) mustard seeds in each of them.
2 Provide the conditions necessary for germination i.e.,
Oxygen, moisture and optimum temperature. Allow the
seeds to germinate and grow in both the pots.
3. When the seedlings become 2-3 inches tall, place one of
the pots into the helotropic chamber or card board box
with a hole on the side. Keep the other pot in open
under direct sunlight.

4. Observe the plant after three days in both the pots.

OBSERVATION
The stem of seedlings in the pot kept in the helioptropic
chamber or box, bend towards the source of light (i.e., towards
the hole in the chamber or box), while the seedling grow
straight in the pot kept in open under direct sunlight.

CONCLUSION
Stem is positively phototrophic, therefore, it shows
bending when given unidirectional light. The bending occurs
because of more growth on shaded side of the stem due to
accumula-tion of more auxin on that side.
 EXPERIMENT P-1.2
To study the role of shoot apices on the phototropic movement in plants.

MATERIALS REQUIRED
Three petridishes, cotton wool, wheat grains, blade, aluminium

foil, heliotropic chamber or card board box with a hole on one

side, water etc.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
1. Prepare three petridishes by placing moist cotton pad
in each of them and mark them as A, B and C. Sow 4-5
wheat grains in each petridish and allow them to
grow.

2. When the seedlings are 2-3 cm in height, cut the

apices of seedlings (coleoptiles) of petridish A. Cover
the apices of seedling of petridish B, with aluminium
foil to keep them in dark. Leave the seedlings of
petridish C to serve as control.
 3. Now place all these petridishes in the heliotropic
chamber or card board box with a hole on one side.
Observe the seedlings after 3 days.

OBSERVATION AND CONCLUSION

The apices of seedlings in petridish C bend towards
the light. Whereas the seedlings in petridishes A and
B remain unchanged. It is because the apices of
seedlings in petridish A were cut and those of
petridish B were covered with aluminium foil and
they could not per: ceive the light hence no bending.
 EXPERIMENT P-1.3
To study effect of gravity on plant movements, i.e., geotropism.

MATERIALS REQUIRED
Maize seeds, petridish, cotton pad, water etc.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
Place four maize grains in a vertically placed petridish
containing moist cotton pad to hold the grain in
position. Set the grains in such a way that their radicle
face toward centre. Let the grain germinate.
OBSERVATION
it will be seen that the radicles of the grains always grow
downwards but coleoptiles always upward direction .

CONCLUSION

This demonstrats that the roots are positively

geotropic, while stem is negatively geotropic.
 EXPERIMENT P-1.4

To study the effect of gravity on plant movement

(Geotropism) using a clinostat.

MATERIALS REQUIRED
Clinostat, a potted plant, observation note-book etc.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
Clinostat is an instrument with a disc which can rotate.
It has a clip in the centre which can hold a potted plant
in horizontal direction i.e., parallel to earth.
1. Fix a pot with an erect plant, in the centre of the disc.

2. Rotate the disc with slow speed i.e., 4-5 rotations per
hour Allow the plant to grow in this manner for two days.
Horizontal increase in the length of stem will take place i.e., no
curvature will be observed.

3 . Now, remove the potted plant from the clinostat and

keep it horizontally on the earth.

4. Record the obsevartions after two days .

OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSION

The horizontally kept plant’s shoot shows upwards

curvature i.e., negative geotropism and roots downward
curvature i.e., positive geotropism. This is due to accumaton of
auxin in the roots on the lower side. In clinostat, no curvature
in root or shoot was observed. This was due to equal
distribution of auxin hormone as the plant was constantly
rotaing.
REFERENCE
 Abbas M., Alabadí D., Blázquez M. A. (2013). Differential growth at the apical
hook: all roads lead to auxin. Front. Plant Sci. 4:441. 10.3389/fpls.2013.00441
 Alabadí D., Gil J., Blázquez M. A., García-Martínez J. L. (2004). Gibberellins
repress photomorphogenesis in darkness. Plant Physiol. 134 1050–1057.
10.1104/pp.103.035451
 Bacon F., Sylvarum S. (1627). A Natural History. Ten Centuries (London,
Thomas Lee, 1676; first published in 1627), 107–110
 Baluška F., Hasenstein K. (1997). Root cytoskeleton: its role in perception of
and response to gravity. Planta 203 S69–S78. 10.1007/PL00008117
 Band L. R., Wells D. M., Fozard J. A., Ghetiu T., French A. P., Pound M. P., et
al. (2014). Systems analysis of auxin transport in the Arabidopsis root apex. Plant
Cell 26 862–875. 10.1105/tpc.13.119495
 Band L. R., Wells D. M., Larrieu A., Sun J., Middleton A. M., French A. P., et
al. (2012). Root gravitropism is regulated by a transient lateral auxin gradient
controlled by a tipping-point mechanism. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 109 4668–
4673. 10.1073/pnas.1201498109
 Barjaktarovic Z., Schutz W., Madlung J., Fladerer C., Nordheim A., Hampp R.
(2009). Changes in the effective gravitational field strength affect the state of
phosphorylation of stress-related proteins in callus cultures of Arabidopsis
thaliana. J. Exp. Bot. 60 779–789. 10.1093/jxb/ern324
 Barlow P. (1995). Gravity perception in plants: a multiplicity of systems derived
by evolution? Plant Cell Environ. 18 951–962. 10.1111/j.1365-
3040.1995.tb00606.x
 Baserga R. (2007). Is cell size important? Cell Cycle 6 814–816.
10.4161/cc.6.7.4049
 Baster P., Robert S., Kleine-Vehn J., Vanneste S., Kania U., Grunewald W., et
al. (2013). SCFTIR1/AFB-auxin signalling regulates PIN vacuolar trafficking and
auxin fluxes during root gravitropism. EMBO J. 32 260–274.
10.1038/emboj.2012.310
 KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA
CLRI , CHENNAI

PROJECT ON

STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF LIGHT AND

GRAVITY ON PLANT GROWTH MOVEMENT

SUBMITTED TO

MRS.SREEJA ,

BIOLOGY TEACHER

DONE BY

S.JAYASURIYA

XI-B