Geotropism

What Does Geotropism Mean?

Geotropism refers to the gravitational influence on a plant’s movement or growth. As a result, the stems grow upwards while the roots are pulled downwards. Botanists normally differ between two types of geotropism: positive and negative. In positive geotropism, the roots grow downwards while negative geotropism trigger an upward growth of the parts.

Maximum Yield Explains Geotropism

Plant root caps are crucial for the process of geotropism since these contain statoliths that act as gravitational sensors. During geotropism, statoliths encourage the cells to expand in a downward motion and at a faster pace. Similarly, the plant’s stem is coaxed into an upward direction, so it elongates instead of sinking into the ground. Because of earth’s gravity, the stem will always point up and the roots will always grow downwards, even if a plant is turned upside down or sideways.

Geotropism also directs the movements of minerals and nutrients in the plant. This process involves the phloem and the xylem, two of the plant’s main parts that move nutrients from the leaves to the roots and across the stems and branches.