Life Movements in Plants, Volume IBose, Jagadis Chandra
Science
Life Movements in Plants, Volume I
Bose, Jagadis Chandra
Growth (Plants); Plants -- Irritability and movements
_Effect of Increased Turgor: Experiment 12._--A young _Mimosa_ plant
was carefully transplanted and the root embedded in soil placed in a
linen bag. This was held securely by a clamp, and one of the leaves
of the plant attached to the recorder. Withholding of water for a day
caused a general loss of turgor of the plant. A vessel full of water
was now raised from below so that the linen bag containing the roots
was now in water. The effect of increased turgor by suction of water
by the roots became apparent by the _upward_ movement of the leaf. The
distance between the immersed portion of the plant and the leaf was
2 cm. and the up-movement of the leaf was indicated within 10 seconds
of application of water (Fig. 13). The velocity with which the effect
of increased turgor travelled was thus 2 mm. per second. The leaf
exhibited increasing erection with absorption of water.
[Illustration: Fig. 13. Response of _Mimosa_ pulvinus to variation
of turgor. Increased turgor by application of water at point marked
with vertical arrow induced erectile movement. Diminution of turgor by
application of KNO_{3} solution at the point marked with the horizontal
arrow, brought about the fall of the leaf within 80 seconds. Successive
dots at intervals of 5 seconds (The down curve represents up-movement
and _vice versâ_.)]
_Effect of Diminution of Turgor: Experiment 13._--While the leaf in the
above experiment was in process of erection, a quick change was made by
substituting KNO_3 solution for the water of the vessel in which the
roots were immersed. The plasmolytic withdrawal of water at the roots
gave rise to a wave of diminished turgor, the effect of which became
perceptible within 40 seconds by the movement of _fall_ of the leaf.
(Fig. 13.)
DIFFERENT MODES OF STIMULATION.
In _Mimosa_ excitation is manifested by the contraction of the pulvinus
and the consequent movement of the leaf. But in most plants, excitatory
movement cannot be realized on account of the rigidity of the plant
structure, the thickness of the cell-wall and the want of facility
for escape of water from the excited cells. I shall show later how
excitation may be detected in the absence of mechanical movement.
As regards stimulation of vegetable tissues, there are various agencies
besides electric shock, which induce excitatory contraction; these
agencies I shall designate as stimuli. Excitation is detected in
_Mimosa_ by the downward movement of the leaf. It will be found that
such excitatory movement is caused by a mechanical blow, by a prick or
a cut, by the application of certain chemical agents, by the action of
electric current and by the action of strong light. The study of the
action of these stimuli will be given in greater detail in subsequent
Papers.
I shall give below a general classification of different stimuli which
cause excitation in vegetable tissues.
_Electric Stimulus._--Induction shock, condenser discharge, the make of
kathode and the break of anode.
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