CHAPTER 19: Response and
Reproduction in Plants
19.1 PLANTS RESPOND TO THE ENVIRONMENT
- Plant Hormones and Growth Regulatory Substances
- An exceptionally thorough reference for plant hormones, this
site covers the discovery, history, metabolism, structure, and
functions of several different hormones and growth regulators.
It was originally written by Ken Maas for Northern Illinois University,
but is now hosted at the University of Bristol.
- Plants in Motion
- Take a look at movies of plant movement, including demontrations
of phototropism and gravitropism. You can look at the simple
animations on this page, or view the Plants in Motion QuickTime
movies from Roger Hangarter, an associate professor of biology
at Indiana University.
- Apical Dominance
- Have you ever pruned roses to make them bushier? If so, you are already familiar with apical dominance, the ability of a growing bud to suppress growth of buds further down on the stem. Read more about this phenomenon, which is controlled by auxins, on this page from Ross Koning, an instructor at Eastern Connecticut State University.
19.2 PLANTS CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT
- The Yucca Plant and the Yucca Moth
- The relationship between the yucca plant and the yucca moth is an example of coevolution. Read more about this interaction, how it evolved, and how it was discovered in this article from the Kansas State Naturalist, a publication of Emporia State University and the Central States Entomological Society.
19.3 ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN PLANTS
- Artificial Vegetative Propagation
- Horticulturalists and gardeners take advantage of the ability of certain plants to regenerate lost parts, often hastening the process with artificial plant hormones. Read more about stem cutting, air layering, and tissue culture at this page from Ross Koning, an instructor at Eastern Connecticut State University. A description of bulbs, tubers, stolons, and corms can be found on the Natural Vegetative Propagation page.
19.4 SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN PLANTS
- Seeds of Life
- This beautiful online book contains photographs of seeds,
as well as poetic and scientific descriptions of fruits, seed
transport, and human use of plant seeds. Photographs include
Coco Fesse, the world's largest seed, and the mystery
seed contest.
- Seed Germination
- How do seeds "know" when to germinate and how do they stay dormant before then? This page discusses the role of plant hormones in dormancy and germination, the ability of seeds to recognized changes in day-length, and why most vegetable garden seeds are not considered dormant. This page was written by Ross Koning of Eastern Connecticut State University.
19.5 FOCUS ON FLOWERS
- Reproductive Characters
- Learn about the different types of flower and fruit structures
from this detailed Botany 201 Web page from Texas A&M University.
Each structure is described and illustrated with a color photograph.
- Fruit Development
- What hormones control the development of fruit? Let this
tutorial from Eastern Connecticut State University instructor
Ross Koning show you how fruits grow and ripen. See also From Flower to Fruit for methods of categorizing fruits and nuts.
- Pollination Adaptations
- Plants have adapted the color, shape, and scent of their
flowers to attract certain pollinators, as this photo-filled
page illustrates. This page, also from Ross Koning, shows other
adaptations, such as rewards for pollinators and adaptations
for wind pollination. To see an angiosperm family tree, visit
Floral
Evolution.
- Stinking Flowers!
- Learn which flowers you would not want to give as a gift from this article in Wayne's Word, a natural history trivia newsletter. Learn more about the arum Rafflesia and other putrid flowers at this site, which features terrific descriptions and photos, but fortunately, no smells.
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