Plant growth & development

Development = growth + differentiation

Growth Growth is measurable

Irreversible permanent increase in size of
Growth may be considered as increase in amount of protoplasm.
an organ, or its parts or even of an
It can be measured in terms of increase in fresh weight, dry weight,
individual cell. (Occur at expense of energy)
length, area, volume, cell no.
Accompanied by metabolic process. Eg-
Single maize root apical give rise to more than 17,500 cells per hour.
expansion of leaf growth.
Watermelon cells may increase in size by upto 3,50,000 times.
Growth in pollen tube is measured by length. In dicot leaf it is
measured by surface area.
Plant growth generally is
indeterminate Shoot apical meristem —> primary growth (elongation of axis)
Dicots & gymnosperms —> lateral meristem
Unlimited growth in plants due to —> vascular cambium (appear later in life)
presence of meristems. —> cork cambium
New cells are added always hence it is
termed as open form of growth.

Phases of growth
Meristematic phase (have abundant plasmodesmata), elongation (vacuolation & formation of new cell wall takes place),
and maturation phase (proximal to elongation, attains maximum size, wall thickening, protoplasmic modification, most of
tissue & cell type.

Growth rates
Increased growth per unit
time is termed as growth rate.
V v

Arithmetic growth Geometric growth

Follows mitotic cell division & only 1 cell continue to divide Initial growth is slow (lag), & it increases rapidly thereafter
while other differentiates and matures. Linear curve is at an exponential rate (log or exponential phase).
obtained on l-t graph. Here both progeny cells following mitotic cell division retain
the ability to divide and continue to do so.
With limited nutrient supply the growth slows down leading
Here r is relative growth rate i.e. referred as efficiency to stationary phase.
index which is also a measure of the ability of the plant to Sigmoid curve is obtained.
produce new plant material. Hence final size depends on
initial size.

Quantitive comparison b/w 2 living system:-

1) Absolute growth rate- total growth per unit time comparison.
2) Relative growth rate- growth per unit time expressed on common basis.

Conditions for growth

Water(cell enlargement, turgidity) , O2, nutrients and optimum temp. Are important and any deviation from optimum temperature is
detrimental to its survival.
growth & further developments linked to water status.
Nutrients help in synthesis of protoplasm.
Environmental signals like light, gravity also affect phases/stages of life.

Differentiation, Dedifferentiation & redifferentiation

e v v v

Cells of meristem differentiate Differentiated cells regain Dedifferentiated Growth in plantscan be

to form mature cells called capacity to divide is called cells again loose indeterminate or determinate &
differentiation. Eg- to form dedifferentiation. Eg- formation of capacity to divide differentiation is also open.
tracheary element, protoplasm meristems - interfascicular (from is called Differentiation also depends upon
is lost, strong, elastic, differentiated plant parenchyma) redifferentiation. locations. Cells away from apex
lignocellulosic secondary walls cambium & cork cambium from Eg- woody dicot formed root cap & cell towards
develop to handle extreme parenchyma cells. tissues. periphery formed epidermis.
tension.
 Development
It includes all the changes that an organism goes through during life cycle.
PLASTICITY- plants follow different pathways in response to environment or phases of life to form different kind
of structures.
Eg- heterophylly in cotton, coriander & larkspur.
Heterophylly due to environment in buttercup.

Plant growth regulators / phytohormones

i
-

[1] characteristics [2] the discovery of plant growth regulators-

They could be indole
compounds (indole-3- AUXIN- charles darwin& francis darwin saw phototropism in coleoptile od canary
acetic acid, IAA); Adenine grass. FW Went isolated auxin from coleoptile of oat seedlings. ( site of transmittable
derivative (N6- influence)
furfurylamino purine, GIBBERELIN- bakane (foolish seedling) disease of rice seedling was cause by fungal
kinetin); caroteinoid pathogen giberella fujikuroi. E Karosawa in 1926 detected that it was giberrelic acid
derivatives (ABA), Terpene substance. (Symptoms appear when treated with sterile filtrate of fungi).
(giberrelic acid, GA3) or KINETIN (cytokinin)- F skoog found that cell division (proliferation of callus) in
gases (ethylene, C2H4) tobacco internode take place only if with auxin, extraction of vascular tissue, yeast,
PGR may be growth coconut milk or DNA is added. Skoog & miller named it as kinetin after crystallising it.
promoter. Eg- auxin, Callus is mass of undifferentiated cells.
gibberellin, cytokinin ABCISSIC ACID (ABA)- during mid 1960’s 3 researcher discovered inhibitor B,
Or may be growth inhibitor. abscission II & Dormin which were collectively named as abscissic acid (ABA).
Eg- absiccic acid, ethylene ETHYLENE- cousins confirmed release of volatile substance in ripened orange that
(90%) ripens the banana which was later known as ethylene.

[3] physiological effects of plant growth regulators-

Auxins Giberellins Cytokinins Ethylene

> First isolated from human
urine. > there are 100s of giberrelin > discovered as purine > synthesised by tissue
> IAA & Indole butyric acid (IBA) (GA1, GA2, GA3…) out of i.e. kinetin from undergoing senescence &
have been isolated from plant. which GA3 is most studied. autoclaved herring sperm ripening fruits
> NAA (Napthalene acetic acid) All are acidic. DNA which does not > horizontal growth of
& 2,4-D (dichlorophenoxy acetic > increase in length of grape occur naturally in plants. seedlings, swelling of the axis.
acid) are synthetic auxins. stalk > naturally it is found as > apical hook formation in dicot
These are used in agriculture & > improve shape of apple zeatin in corn- kernels & seedlings
horticulture practices. > delay senescence coconut milk > promotes abscission of
> used for plant propagation. > speed up malting & > found in rapidly dividing leaves, flowers.
> promote flowering in brewing cell zone (root, shoot > increase respiratory rate i.e.
pineapple > increase production in apice, young fruit) respiratory climatic
> used in tea plantation & hedge sugarcane as 20 tone/acre > helps to produce new > breaks seed/bud dormancy
making > hastens maturity period in leaves, chloroplast, > initiate germination in peanut
> causes apical dominance & to juvenile conifers (early seed lateral shoot growth. seeds.
overcome it decapitation is production) > adventitious root > sprouting of potato tubers
done. > promote bolting in beet, formation > promote elongation of
> induce parthenocarpy in cabbage & many plants with > overcome apical internode & in petiole also in
tomatoes. rosette dominance deep water rice plants which
> used as herbicides > increases length along > promote nutrient helps leaves & stem to remain
> 2,4 D used to kill dicot weeds axis. mobilisation above water.
but not affect monocot plant. > delay of leaf > promote root hair formation.
> control xylem differentiation senescence. > initiate flowering & for
> cell division. synchronising fruit set in
pineapple.
> induce flowering in mango.
> most used ethylene is
ethephon which is aquous
Abscissic acid solution readily absorbed by
plant & releases ethylene
> regulate abscission & dormancy slowly.
> inhibits seed germination > ethephon induce fruit ripening
> stimulates closure of stomata & is a stress hormone in tomato & apple & accelerates
> by inducing dormancy it helps seed to withstand dessication abscission in flower & fruits
> ABA acts as antagonist to GA’s (thinning of cotton, cherry,
walnut)
>promotes female flowers in
cucumber thereby increases
yield.
> most used PGR in agriculture.
 Photoperiodism Seed dormancy
Response of plants to period of day/night is termed as
photoperiodism. It is under control of endogenous conditions.
Duration of dark holds same importance as night. To
detect the light leaves are used on a hormone is sent to REASONS-
site of flowering. > Impermeable hard seed coat.
> presence of chemical inhibitor such as ABA,
phenolic acid, para-ascorbic acid.
> immature embryo.
Vernalisation
Prevents precocious reproductive development. HOW TO OVERCOME SEED DORMANCY?
Flowering either quantitatively / qualitatively depend on > by mechanical abrasions using knife, sand paper,
low temperature. etc or vigorous shaking. Naturally these abrasions
Enables plant to have sufficient time to reach maturity. are provided by microbial action, passage through
Wheat, barley have 2 varieties (winter & spring) digestive tract of animal.
If winter variety is grown in spring then it may fail to > by chilling or treating with GA or nitrates.
flower hence they are planted in autumn. But spring > changing environmental conditions such as light &
variety is better. Winter variety is harvested in mid temperature.
summer.
Another example-> biennials (monocarpic plants) that
normally flower & die in the sec. season. Eg- sugarbeet,
cabbage, carrot.
NCERT Diagrams for reference