Life Movements in Plants, Volume IIBose, Jagadis Chandra
Science
Life Movements in Plants, Volume II
Bose, Jagadis Chandra
Growth (Plants); Plants -- Irritability and movements
_Experiment 179._--The terminals of the galvanometer were suitably
connected with the two diametrically opposite points A and B in the
growing region of the root. Stimulus was now applied very near the point
A, the various stimuli employed in different experiments being: (1)
mechanical, (2) chemical, and (3) thermal. In every instance the
excited point A becomes galvanometrically negative. This shows that the
response of the root is in no way different from that of the shoot.
MECHANICAL RESPONSE TO INDIRECT STIMULUS.
Before describing the effect of indirect stimulus on the root, I shall
recapitulate its effects on ordinary tissues. I have shown that the
effect of indirect unilateral stimulus is to induce a movement away from
stimulus. This was shown to be the case with the bud of _Crinum_ (p.
275) and the tendril of _Passiflora_ (p. 291). The mechanical and
electric response to indirect stimulation in the shoot is shown in the
diagrammatic representation (Fig. 170). I shall now proceed to describe
the mechanical response induced by unilateral stimulation of the root
tip. As the responding region of growth is at some distance from the
tip, the stimulation is therefore indirect.
[Illustration: FIG. 170.--Mechanical and electrical response to indirect
stimulation at dotted arrow. In figure to the left, the point A, on the
same side undergoes expansion, with responsive mechanical movement away
from stimulus indicated by continuous arrow. In figure to the right,
indirect stimulus at dotted arrow induces electric response of
galvanometric positivity at A, indicative of increase of turgor and
expansion.]
_Experiment 180._--I employed at first mechanical stimulus of moderate
intensity by rubbing one side of the tip of the root of _Bindweed_; this
induced a movement away from stimulus. Unilateral application of dilute
acid gave rise to a similar response. Thermal stimulus of moderate
intensity also induced responsive movement away from the stimulus (Fig.
171).
Darwin in his _Movements of Plants_ described experiments on the
responsive behaviour of the tip of the radicle. He produced unilateral
stimulation in three different ways, first by attaching minute fragments
of cardboard to one side of the root-tip; this moderate and constant
irritation was found to induce a convexity on the same side of the
growing region, with the resulting negative movement, _i.e._, away from
stimulus. His second method was chemical, one side of the tip being
touched with silver nitrate; the third method of stimulation was a
slanting cut. All these methods induced a movement away from stimulus.
ELECTRICAL RESPONSE TO INDIRECT STIMULATION.
The next investigation was for the determination of the electrical
change induced in the growing region by application of unilateral
stimulus at the root-tip.
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