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Related Concept Videos

Morphogenesis02:19

Morphogenesis

Plant morphogenesis—the development of a plant’s form and structure—involves several overlapping developmental processes, including growth and cell differentiation. Precursor cells differentiate into specific cell types, which are organized into the tissues and organ systems that make up the functional plant.
Plant Tissues01:18

Plant Tissues

Plants are multicellular eukaryotes with tissue systems made of various cell types that carry out specific functions. Different tissues work together to perform a unique function and form an organ. Organs working together form organ systems. Vascular plants have two distinct organ systems: a shoot system and a root system. The shoot system consists of two portions: the vegetative (non-reproductive) parts of the plant, such as the leaves and the stems, and the reproductive parts of the plant,...
Meristems and Plant Growth02:36

Meristems and Plant Growth

Plants grow throughout their lives; this is called indeterminate growth, and it distinguishes plants from most animals. Although certain parts of plants stop growing (e.g., leaves and flowers), others grow continuously—like roots and stems.
The Phragmoplast01:59

The Phragmoplast

Cell division is essential for organismal growth and development. In animal cells, the central spindle and its associated proteins form the midbody, a structure that has an essential role in cytokinesis. In plants, the central spindle, along with the microtubules, actin, and other cell components, matures into the phragmoplast, which is necessary for cytokinesis. Unlike the stationary midbody, the phragmoplast expands centrifugally, eventually leading to the formation of the new cell wall.
The...
Light Acquisition02:16

Light Acquisition

In order to produce glucose, plants need to capture sufficient light energy. Many modern plants have evolved leaves specialized for light acquisition. Leaves can be only millimeters in width or tens of meters wide, depending on the environment. Due to competition for sunlight, evolution has driven the evolution of increasingly larger leaves and taller plants, to avoid shading by their neighbors with contaminant elaboration of root architecture and mechanisms to transport water and nutrients.
Basic Plant Anatomy: Roots, Stems, and Leaves02:27

Basic Plant Anatomy: Roots, Stems, and Leaves

The primary organs of vascular plants are roots, stems, and leaves, but these structures can be highly variable, adapted for the specific needs and environment of different plant species.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Live Confocal Imaging of Developing Arabidopsis Flowers
07:27

Live Confocal Imaging of Developing Arabidopsis Flowers

Published on: April 1, 2017

Computational models of plant development and form.

Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz1, Adam Runions1

  • 1Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.

The New Phytologist
|January 13, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Computational models are essential for understanding plant development. This review covers geometric and molecular approaches to plant morphogenesis, aiding biologists and modelers.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Computational modeling
  • Plant science

Background:

  • Computational techniques are integral to modern developmental biology, aiding data analysis and organism modeling.
  • Models are crucial for deciphering complex relationships between local developmental processes and global plant forms.
  • Mathematical and computational approaches are increasingly vital for mechanistic explanations in plant development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To survey modeling techniques and specific models elucidating plant development mechanistically.
  • To emphasize the history, objectives, and methodologies of plant development modeling.
  • To review geometric and molecular models of plant morphogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of historical mathematical and computational approaches in plant developmental biology.

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Kinematic Analysis of Cell Division and Expansion: Quantifying the Cellular Basis of Growth and Sampling Developmental Zones in Zea mays Leaves

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Using High Resolution Computed Tomography to Visualize the Three Dimensional Structure and Function of Plant Vasculature
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Using High Resolution Computed Tomography to Visualize the Three Dimensional Structure and Function of Plant Vasculature

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Last Updated: May 25, 2026

Live Confocal Imaging of Developing Arabidopsis Flowers
07:27

Live Confocal Imaging of Developing Arabidopsis Flowers

Published on: April 1, 2017

Kinematic Analysis of Cell Division and Expansion: Quantifying the Cellular Basis of Growth and Sampling Developmental Zones in Zea mays Leaves
08:31

Kinematic Analysis of Cell Division and Expansion: Quantifying the Cellular Basis of Growth and Sampling Developmental Zones in Zea mays Leaves

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  • Analysis of key objectives and methodological aspects in constructing plant models.
  • Examination of diverse mathematical and computational methods applicable to plant modeling.
  • Focus on geometric models (cell division, phyllotaxis, leaf form, branching) and molecular models (auxin in morphogenesis).

    • Main Results:

    • Identified key modeling techniques and specific models for plant development.
    • Detailed the historical progression of computational approaches in plant biology.
    • Presented two main classes of models: geometric and molecular.
    • Highlighted the role of auxin in plant morphogenesis as a major focus of molecular modeling.

    Conclusions:

    • Computational modeling provides essential tools for understanding plant morphogenesis.
    • Geometric and molecular modeling approaches offer complementary insights into plant development.
    • This review serves as a resource for biologists and computational modelers interested in plant development.