Life Movements in Plants, Volume IBose, Jagadis Chandra
Science
Life Movements in Plants, Volume I
Bose, Jagadis Chandra
Growth (Plants); Plants -- Irritability and movements
The investigation of this subject was rendered possible by the
successful device of my Oscillating Recorder. A very light glass fibre
was used for the construction of the lever, which was supported on
jewel bearings. The short arm of the lever was 2 cm. in length, and the
long arm 8 cm. This gave a magnification of 4 times. But it is quite
easy to increase the magnification to 10 times or more.
The pull exerted by the pulsating leaflet is extremely slight, and the
relatively heavy lever made of steel wire used in the Resonant Recorder
is not well-suited for our purpose. The pulsation of the leaflet is
relatively slow, being once in two minutes or so. The intermittent
contact of ten times in a second, given by the Resonant Recorder, is
therefore too quick. In the Oscillating Recorder the intermittence
was, therefore, reduced to once in a second, or once in five seconds,
the recording plate itself being made to move to-and-fro at this rate.
The carrier of the plate-holder slides backwards and forwards on ball
bearings; a wheel in the clockwork connected with an eccentric is
released periodically, at intervals which may be varied between one
and five seconds. By the action of the eccentric, the plate carrier
approaches the writing lever with diminishing speed till the movement
is zero at the contact. This contrivance is essential, since any
sudden shock of the plate against the lever is apt to give rise to
after-vibrations of the writer. The plate carrier is quickly withdrawn
after the production of a dot on the smoked glass plate by contact with
the writing lever.
The clockwork is governed by a revolving fan which can be gradually
opened out by a regulating screw. The speed can thus be adjusted within
wide limits, and maintained constant and at any desired speed. A second
set of wheels connected with the clockwork moves the plate-holder in a
lateral direction. A series of records may thus be taken for fifteen
minutes, half an hour, or an hour.
The record obtained in this way is very perfect. Not only is the effect
of an external agent shown by variation in the amplitude and frequency
of pulsations, but the change of speed in any phase of the pulse
becomes automatically recorded.
RECORD OF PULSATION OF _DESMODIUM GYRANS_.
The whole plant can not be conveniently manipulated for different
investigations. It is, however, possible using the precautions
described below to use the detached petiole carrying the pulsating
leaflets. The terminal large leaf may also be removed. The necessary
amputation is often followed by an arrest of pulsation. But as in the
case of isolated heart in a state of standstill, the movement of the
leaflet may be revived by the application of internal hydrostatic
pressure. Under these conditions, the rhythmic pulsations may easily be
maintained uniform for many hours.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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