APHELIOTROPISM Meaning and
Definition
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Apheliotropism, also known as solar tracking or heliotropism, is a biological phenomenon observed in plants, mainly in response to light stimuli. This term is derived from the combination of two Greek words: "apo," meaning away, and "helios," meaning sun. It encompasses the plant's ability to orient its organs, such as leaves or flowers, in response to the position of the sun.
Plants that exhibit apheliotropism demonstrate a behavior of adjusting the angle or position of their organs relative to the sun's rays. This adaptation allows them to maximize the absorption of sunlight and optimize their photosynthesis process. Essentially, apheliotropic plants track the sun throughout the day, modifying their orientation to ensure optimal exposure to sunlight.
The mechanism of apheliotropism involves a phototropic response, where the plant hormones auxin and gibberellin are responsible for initiating the movement. These hormones redistribute themselves within the plant to cause cellular elongation on one side, causing the bending or movement of organs towards or away from the sun.
Apheliotropism can be observed in various plant species, including sunflowers, which are renowned for their characteristic sun-tracking behavior. Other examples include certain types of flowers, leaves, or even individuals within a species that alter their orientation in response to sunlight.
Understanding apheliotropism is critical for botanists, agronomists, and plant breeders as it helps in predicting plant growth patterns, optimizing agricultural practices, and designing effective cultivation strategies. Additionally, studying apheliotropism contributes to a broader understanding of plant physiology and growth as well as its ecological implications.
Common Misspellings for APHELIOTROPISM
- zpheliotropism
- spheliotropism
- wpheliotropism
- qpheliotropism
- aoheliotropism
- alheliotropism
- a-heliotropism
- a0heliotropism
- apgeliotropism
- apbeliotropism
- apneliotropism
- apjeliotropism
- apueliotropism
- apyeliotropism
- aphwliotropism
- aphsliotropism
- aphdliotropism
- aphrliotropism
- aph4liotropism
Etymology of APHELIOTROPISM
The word "apheliotropism" is derived from two main components:
1. "Aphelion": This word comes from the Greek words "apo", meaning "away", and "helios", meaning "sun". In astronomy, "aphelion" refers to the point in a planet's orbit where it is farthest from the sun.
2. "Tropism": This word is derived from the Greek word "tropos", meaning "turn" or "turning". In biology, "tropism" refers to the turning or growth movement of an organism in response to a stimulus, such as light.
Combining these components, "apheliotropism" is used to describe the phenomenon where an organism or plant tends to turn or grow away from the sun or direct sunlight.
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