The movement of plants. What is the difference between plant movement and animal movement? Plant growth

At first glance, the plant world seems to be motionless. But when observing, you can see that this is not entirely true. The movement of plants is very slow. They grow, and this proves that they make certain growth movements. If you plant a bean seed in the soil, under favorable conditions, it begins to grow, drilling the soil, to bring out two cotyledons. Under the influence of heat and light, they begin to turn green and move up. Two months later, fruits appear on the plant.

plant growth

Plant growth rate

To notice the movement, you can conduct a special video. As a result, what is happening per day can be observed in a few seconds. The growth movements of plants are accelerated hundreds of times: before the eyes, the sprouts make their way through the soil, buds bloom on the trees, flower buds swell and bloom. In reality, bamboo grows very quickly - by 0.6 mm per minute. Some fruiting bodies of fungi possess an even higher growth rate. Dictiophore increases in size by 5 mm in just one minute. The lowest plants possess the greatest mobility - these are algae and mushrooms. For example, chlamydomonas (algae) can quickly move with the flagella in the aquarium on the side lit by the sun. Many zoospores, which serve for reproduction (in algae and fungi), also move. But back to the more complex plants. Flowering make various movements that are associated with the growth process. They are of two types - these are tropisms and nastia.

Tropisms

Tropisms are called one-way movements that respond to any irritating factors: light, chemicals, gravity. If you place seedlings of barley or oat grains on the windowsill, after some time they will all turn towards the street. This movement of plants towards light is called phototropism. In this case, plants make better use of solar energy.

what is the difference between the movement of plants from the movement of animals

Many people have a question: why does the stem stretch up and the root grow down? Such examples of plant movement are called geotropism. In this case, the stem and root react differently to gravity. The movement is directed in different directions. The stem stretches upward, in the opposite direction from the action of gravity - this is negative geotropism. The root behaves differently, it grows in the direction of gravity - this is positive geotropism. All tropisms are divided into positive and negative.

For example, a pollen tube sprouts in pollen grain. On a plant of its kind, growth proceeds directly and reaches the ovule, this phenomenon is called positive chemotropism. If pollen grain fell on a flower of a different kind, then the tube bends during growth, does not grow directly, this process prevents the fertilization of the egg. It becomes obvious that the substances secreted by the pestle on the plants of their species cause positive chemotropism, and negative on the alien species.

plant movement examples

Darwin's discovery

Now it is clear that tropisms play a large role in the process of plant movement. The great Englishman Charles Darwin began to study the causes of tropism first. It was he who established that irritation is perceived at the growth point, while the bend is lower in the zones of cell extension. The scientist suggested that at the point of growth there is a substance flowing into the stretching zone, and there is a bend. Contemporaries of Darwin did not understand and did not accept this innovative idea of ​​his. Only in the twentieth century did scientists experimentally prove the correctness of the discovery. It turned out that in the growth cones (in the stem and root) a certain hormone heteroauxin is formed, otherwise - beta-indolylacetic organic acid. Lighting affects the distribution of this substance. There is less heteroauxin on the shadow side, and more on the sunny side. The hormone accelerates the metabolism and therefore the shadow side tends to bend towards the side of lighting.

Nastia

We will get acquainted with other features of the movement of plants called nastia. These movements are associated with diffuse environmental influences. Nastia, in turn, can be positive and negative.

Dandelion inflorescences (baskets) open in bright light, and close at dusk, in poor light. This process is called photonasty. For fragrant tobacco, the opposite is true: flowers begin to open when the light decreases. A negative form of photonasty appears here.

With a decrease in air temperature, saffron flowers close - this is a manifestation of thermonastia. Nastia is also basically uneven in growth. With strong growth of the upper sides of the petals, opening occurs, and if the lower ones have more strength, the flower closes.

plant growth movements

Contractile movements

In some species, the movement of parts of plants occurs faster than growth. For example, in acidic or bashful mimosa contractile movements occur.

Bashful mimosa grows in India. She instantly folds her leaves if touched. In our forests sour acid grows, they also call it rabbit cabbage. Back in 1871, Professor Batalin noticed the amazing properties of this plant. Once, returning from a forest walk, the scientist gathered a bunch of sour. When shaking along a cobblestone pavement (he was riding in a cab), the leaves of the plant formed. So the professor became interested in this phenomenon and a new property was discovered: under the influence of stimuli, the plant folds leaves.

In the evening, the leaves of the sour are also folded, and in cloudy weather this happens earlier. In strong sunlight, the same reaction occurs, but the opening of the leaves after that is restored after about 40-50 minutes.

Movement mechanism

So how do the leaves of sour acid and bashful mimosa perform contractile movements? This mechanism is associated with the contractile protein, which comes into action when irritated. When proteins are reduced, the energy produced in the process of respiration is expended. It accumulates in the plant in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphoric acid). With irritation, ATP decomposes, the bond with contractile proteins breaks down, the energy enclosed in ATP is released. As a result of this process, the leaves are folded. Only after a certain time, ATP forms again, this is due to the process of respiration. And only then can the leaves open again.

We found out what movements plants (mimosa and sour) make, responding to annoying factors. It is worth noting that the reduction occurs not only with changes in the environment, it is also associated with internal factors (breathing process). Oxygen collects leaves with the onset of darkness, but it begins to open them not at sunrise, but at night, when a sufficient amount of ATP accumulates in the cells and the connection with contractile proteins is restored.

plant movement features

Features

The movement of plants given in the example has its own characteristics. Observation of acid in nature has brought some surprises. In a meadow with a mass of plants of this species, when all the plants have their leaves open, they come across specimens with closed leaves. As it turned out, these plants bloomed at that time (although in summer the flowers have a plain appearance). When flowering, the sour acid spends many substances for the formation of flowers, it simply does not have enough energy to open the leaves.

If we compare animals and plants, it is worth noting that the same reasons affect their contractile movements. There are similar reactions to the stimulus, while there is a latent period of irritation. For acid, it is 0.1 s. In mimosa, with prolonged irritation, it is 0.14 s.

Touch response

Considering the movements of plants, it is worth noting that there are instances that are able to change the tension of tissues when touched. The well-known mad cucumber in a mature state, with irritation, is able to spit seeds out. The turgor of the internal pericarp tissue increases unevenly with loss of water or with pressure, and the fetus immediately opens. A similar picture arises when the plant is touched by a touch. It is possible that infusion, but contractile movements predominate in infusions to a greater degree, but this is still being investigated by scientists.

General classification of plant movements

Scientists generally classify plant movements as follows:

  • The movement of the cytoplasm and organelles is intracellular movement.
  • Locomotor movement of cells using special flagella.
  • Growth based on stretching of growth cells - this includes lengthening of roots, shoots, axial organs, leaf growth.
  • Growth of root hairs, pollen tubes, moss protonems, i.e. apical growth.
  • Stomata movements - turgor revolving movements.

Locomotor movements and cytoplasmic movements are inherent in both plant and animal cells. The remaining types belong exclusively to plants.

Animal movement

plant movement

The main movements of the plants we examined. How do animals move and what are the differences between these processes in animals and plants?

Any species of animals have the ability to move in space, unlike plants. This largely depends on the habitat. Organisms are able to move underground, on the surface, in water, in the air, and so on. Many have the ability to move in many ways similar to human ones. It all depends on various factors: the structure of the skeleton, the presence of limbs, their shape and much more. The movement of animals is divided into several types, the following are the main ones:

  • Amoebic . Such a movement is characteristic of amoebas - organisms of the same name. The body of such organisms is unicellular, it moves with the help of pseudopods - special outgrowths.
  • The simplest . Similar to amoebic movement. The simplest unicellular organisms move with the help of rotational, oscillatory, undulating movements around their own bodies.
  • Reactive . This type of movement also characterizes the simplest organisms. In this case, the forward movement occurs due to the release of special mucus, which pushes the body.
  • Muscular The most perfect type of movement that is common to all multicellular. This also includes man - the highest creation of nature.

What is the difference between plant movement and animal movement

Each animal in its movement pursues a goal - a search for food, a change of place, protection against attacks, reproduction and much more. The main property of any movement is the movement of the whole organism. In other words, the animal moves completely with the whole body. This is the main answer to the question of how plant movements differ from animal movements.

The vast majority of plants lead an attached existence. The root system is the necessary part for this, it is located motionless in a specific place. If the plant is separated from the root, it will simply die. Plants cannot move independently in space.

Many plants are able to make any contractile movements, as described above. They are capable of opening petals, folding leaves when irritated, and even catching insects (flycatcher). But all these movements occur in a specific place where this plant grows.

plant movement process

conclusions

The movements of plants differ in many respects from the movements of animals, but nevertheless they exist. Plant growth is a clear confirmation of this. The main differences between them are as follows:

  • The plant is in one place, in most cases has a root. Any kind of animal can move in space in a variety of ways.
  • In their movements, animals always have a definite purpose.
  • The animal moves with its whole body, in its entirety. The plant is capable of movement in its individual parts.

Movement is life, everyone knows this statement. All living organisms on our planet are capable of movement, even if it has any differences.


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