How water flow, geometry, and material properties drive plant movements
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Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Author Spotlight: Shear Assay Protocol for the Determination of Single-Cell Material Properties
Published on: May 19, 2023
Richard J Morris1, Mark Blyth2
1Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK.
Abstract:
Plants are dynamic. They adjust their shape for feeding, defence, and reproduction. Such plant movements are critical for their survival. We present selected examples covering a range of movements from single cell to tissue level and over a range of time scales. We focus on reversible turgor-driven shape changes. Recent insights into the mechanisms of stomata, bladderwort, the waterwheel, and the Venus flytrap are presented. The underlying physical principles (turgor, osmosis, membrane permeability, wall stress, snap buckling, and elastic instability) are highlighted, and advances in our understanding of these processes are summarized.
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