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16.4: Plant Development - Fundamentals

  • Page ID
    5776
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    • 16.4A: Plant Growth
      Growth in plants occurs chiefly at meristems where rapid mitosis provides new cells. As these cells differentiate, they provide new plant tissue.
    • 16.4B: Germination of Seeds
      Germination is the resumption of growth of the embryo plant inside the seed.
    • 16.4C: Etiolation
      The stems of plants raised in the dark elongate much more rapidly than normal, a phenomenon called etiolation. It is a mechanism that increases the probability of the plant reaching the light.
    • 16.4D: Flowering
      The flowering plants (angiosperms) go through a phase of vegetative growth producing more stems and leaves and a flowering phase where they produce the organs for sexual reproduction. In "annuals", like the snapdragon, the vegetative phase begins with germination of the seed. Flowering follows and ends with the senescence and death of the plant. In biennials, the vegetative phase takes up the first year; flowering followed by death occurs the second year.
    • 16.4E: Photoperiodism and Phytochrome
      Many angiosperms flower at about the same time every year. This occurs even though they may have started growing at different times. Their flowering is a response to the changing length of day and night as the season progresses. The phenomenon is called photoperiodism. It helps promote cross pollination.


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