PLANTS GROWTH

AND
DEVELOPMENT
Plants growth, from seed germination
to maturity, involves a combination of
cellular responses and ,molecular
interaction.
For instance, when you break the stem
of kangkong to prepare it for sinigang,
the kangkong makes a snapping sound
due to the turgidity of the plant’s cell
from water uptake. As you can see in
the picture responce of plant cell
varies depending on the amount of
water present in its surrounding.
 So how important is water to plants?
Water is an essential requirement for
plants survival. Water uptake allows
plants to metabolically utilize the
chemical compounds and
micronutrients obtained from the
surrounding soil. The presence of root
hairs in some plants increases the
surface area for water absorption. Root
nodules also occurs in some plants
wherein nitrogen-fixing bacteria
establish a symbiosis with the plants to
convert nitrogen gas to ammonia.
In some plants species, the shoot and root system have
developed a specialized function to adapt to certain
environmental conditions. Ginger, locally known as Luya,
is a specialized stem known as rhizome. Rhizomes serve
as storage of starch and protein, which permits perennial
growth. The colorful specialized leaves of bougainvillea
maybe seen as white, pink or yellow shade to attract
pollinators to the small flower at the cebter of this
bracts. Prop roots are also specialized plant parts that we
see in mangrove or bakawan. These prop roots function
to anchor and support the mangrove on the regularly
water-logged soil.
 TRANSPORT SYSTEM IN PLANTS
The plant transport food, water, and minerals through its system
by using the xylem and the phloem. These conducting tissues,
when viewed as a cross-section under the microscope, appear to
be a mass of cell, arranged side by side. Xylem vessels are
composed of dead lignified cells connected end to end. This allows
the transport od water and minerals in the upward direction.
Phloem is composed of sieve tuves, which are closely associated
with companion cells to facilitate movement of materials across
the cell cytoplasm. These tubes carry the products of
photosynthesis in a bidirectional movement to ensure supply of
materials for the growth of buds, roots, and other plant parts.
Both of these conducting tubes run across the plant
structure, however, the arrangement of vascular bundle
varies depending on whether it is the stem, leaf, or root
or if the plant is classified as monocot or dicot.
 PLANT NUTRITION
When we talk about plant nutrition, we are referring to the
supply and absoption of chemical compounds for the growth
and metabolism of plants. Thjese chemical compounds for
growth are known as plant nutrients or essential elements. In
order for higher plants to sustain their meytabolic processes,
inorganic nutrients are obtained from the environment via
soil, air and water. Classifying are essential for plants growth
is based on visual diagnosis, plant analysis, biochemical tests,
and soil test. At present, plant biologist are able to identify 17
elements as essential for plants.
 PLANT HORMONES, RESPONSES, AND
FEEDBACK MECHANISM
Achieve ideal growth
- plants need to have a constant level of essential elements.

Irregular distribution of nutrients.

-leads to limited accessibility of nutrients for plants.

To cope
-plants trigger physiological and developmental responses to acquire
nutrients. These responses alter the whole plant morphology and
metabolism.
Some lead to an induced expression of chemical transporters and
collection of enzymes and compounds to remobilize the sources
present. Adaptive mechanisms are also utilized by plants to increase
or decrease growth in organs that directly or indirectly participate
in nutrient acquisition.
• Vascular tissues (xylem and Phloem) allow nutrient distribution across
the root and shoot system of plants.
• Established mineral nutrients for plant growth are carbon, hydron,
oxygen, boron, calcium, chlorine, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese,
molybdenum, nickel, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur and zinc.
• Plants use abscisic acid (ABA), auxin, brassionosteriods (BR), Cytokinin
(CK), ethylene (ET), Gibberellins (GA), Jasmonic acid (JA), and salicylic
acid (SA) as plant hormones to grow and develop and to increase
defense againts pathogens and adapt to environmental stress.
• Modern biotechnological tools applied to plants are site-specific
integration, multigene transfer, and regulation of gene expression to
improve crop yield and resistance.