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Self-organisation at the whole-plant level: a modelling study.
Zongjian Yang1, David J Midmore2
1School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
Functional Plant Biology : FPB
|July 22, 2020
Summary
Plant resource allocation is coordinated through self-organization, where shoot branches compete for resources and self-organize into functional patterns like light foraging and correlative dominance.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Mathematical modeling
- Systems biology
Background:
- Plant resource allocation is complex due to heterogeneous environments.
- Correlative control mechanisms in plants are not fully understood.
- Coordination of plant development is crucial for resource capture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a mathematical model for resource allocation in plants.
- To explain correlative effects among shoot branches using self-organization.
- To investigate the role of polar auxin transport in plant development.
Main Methods:
- Developed a mathematical model of plant shoot systems.
- Treated shoot systems as modular subunits competing for resources.
- Modeled resource allocation based on vascular contact and auxin transport.
Main Results:
- Model demonstrates self-organization of plant structures without central control.
- Shoot branches coordinate resource allocation via local environmental responses and auxin.
- Emergent patterns include light foraging and correlative dominance.
Conclusions:
- Whole-plant morphology arises from modular self-organization.
- Self-organization principles can explain plant structure and function.
- Further research into self-organization can reveal plant organizational laws.
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