Life Movements in Plants, Volume IBose, Jagadis Chandra
Science
Life Movements in Plants, Volume I
Bose, Jagadis Chandra
Growth (Plants); Plants -- Irritability and movements
There is no breach of continuity in the increasing contractile reaction
in a growing organ under increasing intensity of stimulus; the
incipient contraction seen in retardation of rate of growth culminates
in a marked shortening of the length of the organ.
Time relations of response, the latent period, the apex time, and the
period of recovery are of similar order in pulvinated and in growing
organs.
In condition of sub-tonicity the pulvinus of _Mimosa_ responds to
stimulus by an abnormal _positive_ or erectile response. Under
continued stimulation the abnormal positive is converted into normal
_negative_. Growing organs in sub-tonic condition responds to stimulus
by abnormal acceleration of rate of growth, which is converted into
normal retardation under continuous stimulation.
Direct stimulus induces in _Mimosa_ a _negative_ response, with the
fall of leaf. But Indirect stimulus induces the _positive_ or erectile
response. Similarly, Direct stimulus induces in a growing organ a
_negative_ variation, or retardation of rate of growth, and Indirect
stimulus a _positive_ variation or acceleration of rate of growth.
The electric response to Direct stimulus is by galvanometric
_negativity_, that to Indirect stimulus by galvanometric _positivity_.
Under condition of sub-tonicity the autonomous activity of leaflet of
_Desmodium gyrans_ and of growing organs comes to a stop. The arrested
activity in both is revived by the application of stimulus. Active
pulsation in _Desmodium_, and active growth in growing organs are,
however, retarded or arrested by stimulus.
The contractile effect of stimulus on pulsation of leaflets of
_Desmodium gyrans_ is seen by the reduction of the diastolic limit
of its pulsations; to this corresponds the incipient contraction and
retardation of rate of growth in a growing organ. The effect of warmth
is antagonistic to that of stimulus. The expansive effect of rise of
temperature is seen in _Desmodium_ by the reduction of the systolic
limit of its pulsation; in growth it is exhibited by an acceleration of
the rate of growth.
All stimuli which induce an excitatory contraction and fall of the leaf
of _Mimosa_ also induce incipient contraction and retardation of rate
of growth in a growing organ.
Excitatory effects of different rays of light on motile and growing
organs are similarly discriminative. Ultra-violet light exerts the most
intense reaction which reaches a minimum towards the less refrangible
red end of the spectrum. Beyond this, the infra-red or thermal
rays become suddenly effective in inducing excitatory movement and
retardation of growth.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Life Movements in Plants, by
Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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