1.

9 Stimuli and Responses in Plants Like humans and animals, plants too can detect stimuli and respond to them. The movements of plants are affected by external stimuli such as light, gravity, water and touch. The movement of plant parts in response to external stimuli is called tropic movement or tropism. The response of a plant in the direction of a stimulus is called positive tropism, while the response of the plant in the opposite direction of the stimulus is called negative tropism. The following are the types of responses shown by plants: Plant response - Stimulus Phototropism - Light Geotropism - Gravity Hydrotropism - Water Thigmotropism - Contact with a solid Nastic movement - Touch Tropism ensures that plants obtain their basic needs, such as light and water. this helps plants to survive. -PhototropismPhototropism is the response of plants to light. Plant leaves and stems grow towards light, thus exhibiting positive phototropism. Roots always grow away from light, exhibiting negative phototropism. Phototropism ensures that shoots and leaves obtain enough sunlight to make food though photosynthesis. -Geotropism-

Geotropism is the response of plants to gravity. Roots always grow towards gravity, showing positive geotropism. Shoots grow away from gravity by growing upwards. They exhibit negative geotropism. Positive geotropism helps the plants to obtain water and mineral salts, and the roots to hold the plants firmly in the ground. Negative geotropism helps the shoots to obtain sunlight to make food. -HydrotropismHydrotropism is the response of plants to water. Roots grow towards water, showing positive hydrotropism. Shoots grow away from water, showing negative hydrotropism. Positive hydrotropism helps roots to obtain water and mineral salts that are necessary for the growth and survival of plants. -ThigmotropismThigmotropism is the response shown by parts of plants, such as stems and tendrils, when they come into contact with a solid, and move in the direction of the stimulus. The stems and tendrils twine around the solid in order to get support and sunlight for photosynthesis. -Nastic MovementNastic movement is the response of a part of a plant to touch, light and heat. Sensitive plants like Mimosa exhibit nastic movement (also called seismonastic movement). When they are touched, their leaves close. The leaves will return to normal after a while. A Venus flytrap and the pitcher plant also show this response when insects land on them.

The response of plants to light intensity is called photonastic movement. This is why flowers open during the day and close at night. The response of plants to temperature change is called thermonastic movement. Some flowers close when there is a drop in temperature.