Plants do not move Irom one location to another, but their leaves, stems, and roots do

move. These parts oI plants move at such a slow rate that the motion is not noticed.
Movement in plants is a response to stimuli, and this movement, or tropism, will be either
toward or away Irom the particular stimulus. Positive tropism is a movement toward the
stimulus, and negative tropism is a movement away Irom the stimulus.
In this project, you will learn about geotropism, the response oI plants to gravity. You
will also determine which parts oI a plant exhibit positive and negative geotropism as
well as how plants behave in a simulated-gravity environment
Getting Started
Purpose: To determine how gravity aIIects plant growth.
Materials
O paper towel
O ---inch (30--30-cm) sheet oI aluminum Ioil
O tap water
O mustard seeds
marking pen
O -quart (-liter) jar
Procedure
. old the paper towel in halI twice.
. Place the Iolded paper towel in the center oI the aluminum Ioil.
3. Moisten the paper towel with tap water so that it is damp, but not dripping wet.
4. Sprinkle mustard seeds in a line across the center oI the damp paper towel (see A
in igure .).
5. old the Ioil around the towel and close up each end oI the Ioil.
6. Use the marking pen to draw an arrow on the outside oI the Ioil package.

7. Stand the package in the jar with its arrow pointing upward (see B in igure .).
8. Place the jar where it can remain undisturbed.
9. AIter Iive days, careIully open the package and observe the contents. Make note
oI the direction oI the roots and stems oI the seedlings. 490 II distinct roots and
stems have not yet Iormed, close the package and reopen it in two days.
#esults
The stems oI the plants in the package grow up, and the roots grow down.
Why?
Plants are stationary, but they are not motionless. They move slowly, but deIinitely, in
response to stimuli in their environment. This movement in response to a stimulus is
called tropism and occurs because one part oI the plant grows Iaster than another part.
The increased growth is the result oI unequal stimulation on opposite sides oI the plant.
Auxin is a hormone that causes the cells in a plant to lengthen. Longer cells on one side
cause the plant to bend. DiIIerent type oI cells respond diIIerently to the presence oI this
hormone. The increase in length oI stem cells is directly related to the concentration oI
cells, whereas auxin inhibits rather than increases the growth oI root cells.
The growth response oI plants to gravity is called geotropism. Gravity pulls the growth-
stimulating hormone auxin downward lowest part oI the stem and root oI a plant. More
growth occurs in the cells on the lower side oI the stem; less growth in the cells side oI
the root. The result is that the stem bends one way, upward, and the roots bend in the
opposite direction, downward.
%ry New Approaches
.
a. Can stems and roots change direction? Repeat the experiment preparing
Iour separate Ioil packages oI seeds. AIter Iive days, change the position
oI the packages to Iurther test the eIIect oI gravity on the stems and roots.
Support the jars so that the arrows on the packages point up, down, right,
and leIt (see igure .). Allow the packages to remain undisturbed Ior
another Iive days. Open the packages and observe the direction oI the
stems and roots oI each plant. Compare the growth oI the stems and roots
with the control package (the one with its arrow pointing upward). Science
Fair Hint: Display a data table with diagrams and descriptions oI the
seedlings. Record the results by reIerring to the position oI the arrow as up
(turned 0), right (90), down (80), and leIt (70), as shown in the
sample data table here.


b. At what rate do the plants move? Repeat the previous experiment using a
clear plastic wrap to cover the seeds. Place the packages inside a dark
closet or under a cardboard box to prevent the plants Irom responding to
light. Make as many observations as possible each day. Record the day
and time Ior each observation. Use your results to determine whether there
is more plant growth at a speciIic time oI day.
. Does gravity aIIect one type oI plant more than another? Repeat the original
experiment using diIIerent types oI plant seeds, such as radish, pinto beans, or
lima beans. 490 DiIIerent seeds may require more than Iive days to germinate.
Science Fair Hint: Use photographs to represent the procedure and results oI the
experiment.