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Random root movements in weightlessness.

A Johnsson1, C Karlsson, T H Iversen

  • 1Dept of Physics, Univ. of Trondheim, Norway. anders.johnsson@.avh.unit.no

Physiologia Plantarum
|February 1, 1996
PubMed
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In weightlessness, plant root growth dynamics were studied. Spontaneous movements were observed, aligning with random walk mathematics, indicating random processes significantly influence root growth.

Area of Science:

  • Plant biology
  • Space biology
  • Gravitational biology

Background:

  • Root growth is typically influenced by gravity (gravitropism).
  • Understanding root growth in the absence of gravitational cues is crucial for space exploration and plant science.
  • Spontaneous growth processes may dominate root movement without gravitropic direction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dynamics of root growth in weightlessness.
  • To test the hypothesis that root bending in microgravity follows random walk mathematics.
  • To analyze spontaneous root movements and their correlation with theoretical models.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a Spacelab ESA-experiment (RANDOM) during the IML-2 Shuttle flight.
  • Used time-lapse photography at 1-hour intervals to record garden cress (Lepidium sativum) root growth over ~20 hours.
Keywords:
NASA Center KSCNASA Discipline Plant Biology

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  • Analyzed root growth patterns, deviation directions, squared deviations, and autocorrelation of bendings.

    • Main Results:

    • Root growth was significantly reduced in weightlessness compared to gravity conditions.
    • Roots exhibited spontaneous movements in weightlessness, with average deviation direction remaining at zero.
    • Average squared deviation increased linearly with time (8-10h), and root bendings were uncorrelated after ~2 hours.
    • The observed growth patterns partially supported predictions from a random walk hypothesis.

    Conclusions:

    • Random processes play a significant role in plant root growth dynamics.
    • A random walk model can explain certain aspects of root growth patterns observed in microgravity.
    • Space experiments are essential for testing hypotheses about biological processes under unique environmental conditions like weightlessness.