Experiment: Plant Sensitivity.

Aim: To observe phototropism and geotropism in plants.

Apparatus: a cardboard box with one sided illumination; two Petri dishes with
sprouted seedlings; a clinostat with seedlings on it and another Petri dish with
seedlings.
Method:
Phototropism.
1. Two Petri dishes with seedlings growing in them were placed in a
cardboard box as shown in the diagram. One of the Petri dishes was
placed in the part that had absolute darkness and the other one was placed
in the partition that had one sided illumination.
. These were left and watered for a few da!s.
". The shoots were observed after a few da!s.
Geotropism
1. #ome seedlings were pinned onto the cork of the clinostat.
. #ome other seedlings were planted in a Petri dish.
". $oth the clinostat and the Petri dish were left vertical.
%. The clinostat was switched on.
&. $oth seedlings were watered and left for a few da!s.
'. After a few da!s the shoots were observed.
Precautions:
1. (t was made sure that all the seedlings were watered ever! two da!s
. (t was made sure that the seedlings of the phototropisms experiments
were not exposed too much to light) but onl! for watering.
". (t was made sure that the phototropism box was tightl! closed so that no
light enters expect from the small hole on one side.
%. (t was made sure that while watering the seedlings on the clinostat) no
water was spilled on the mechanism that could cause electric shock.
Results:
Phototropism:
1. The seedlings that were growing in the dark side kept growing straight
up.
. The seedlings that were growing in the one sided illuminated partition
turned towards the light.
Geotropism:
1. The shoots that grew on the clinostat kept growing hori*ontall!.
. The shoots that grew in the vertical Petri dish grew upwards.
Conclusions:
+,rite !our own conclusions wh! the seedlings and shoots grew as the! did. (n
!our write up !ou can explain in terms of auxins - light - gravit! - plant
sensitivit!. ,h! is it important for plants to respond in such wa!s to the
different stimuli. /