How can plants tell which way is up?

Area of Science:

• Plant Biology
• Plant Physiology
• Science Education

Background:

• Plants are not sessile; they exhibit active movements like nastic responses and tropisms.
• Tropisms are directed growth responses to environmental stimuli, including gravitropism (gravity) and phototropism (light).
• Understanding plant movements offers insights into plant responses and educational opportunities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe engaging laboratory exercises focused on plant tropisms, specifically gravitropism.
• To introduce high school and introductory college students to plant biology through hands-on experiments.
• To utilize the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana for robust and accessible scientific inquiry.

Main Methods:

• Development of laboratory exercises based on recent research, including space shuttle experiments.
• Focus on gravitropism experiments using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.
• Exercises designed for simplicity in equipment, materials, and procedures suitable for introductory students.

Main Results:

• The study presents practical and robust laboratory exercises on plant gravitropism.
• These exercises are suitable for introductory biology students, requiring minimal resources.
• The exercises have been successfully performed by beginning college students and are adaptable for high school settings.

Conclusions:

• Plant tropism studies provide an engaging platform for teaching fundamental biological concepts.
• Accessible laboratory exercises using Arabidopsis thaliana can effectively introduce hypothesis testing, quantitative analysis, and statistics.
• The described exercises are scalable and can be adapted to various educational needs and levels.