Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2025

Analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana Growth Behavior in Different Light Qualities
Published on: February 2, 2018
Photon spectra effects tested on the vegetal model Allium cepa
Mariana de Souza1,2, Kamila Jessie Sammarro Silva1, Matheus Garbuio1,3
1São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
Abstract:
The use of artificial light sources in plants is considered a type of photobiomodulation (PBM), a trend in agriculture and food industries, aiming at decontamination, pest control, and increased production yield. However, literature lacks a broader assessment to address the effects of photon light spectra on plant characteristics. Here, we aimed to describe the effects of visible light, infrared, and ultraviolet light upon Allium cepa, a known bioindicator, under various light doses. Samples irradiated under visible and infrared light did not show cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, or mutagenicity in any of the evaluated doses. Light induction at 460 and 635 nm significantly stimulated root development of the test organism. In contrast, 254 nm irradiation proved to be cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic. This work reveals and quantifies the spectral response of A. cepa seeds, suggesting that it can be proposed as a model for future research on mechanisms of PBM in plants.
Related Concept Videos
Light Acquisition
Light as Energy
Photons
A photon is a discrete electromagnetic particle or bundle of energy. Photons are characterized by their frequency, wavelength, and amplitude, similar to the properties of a wave. Waves with higher frequencies transmit more energy and have shorter wavelengths than longer wavelengths that transmit...
UV–Vis Spectroscopy of Conjugated Systems
One of the factors influencing λmax is the extent...
Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light
Emission Spectra
UV–Vis Spectroscopy: Woodward–Fieser Rules

