Life Movements in Plants, Volume IIBose, Jagadis Chandra
Science
Life Movements in Plants, Volume II
Bose, Jagadis Chandra
Growth (Plants); Plants -- Irritability and movements
_Unilateral photic stimulation: Experiment 104._--A _Mimosa_ plant was
taken, and its stem was held vertical by means of a clamp. We apply a
stimulus at a point on one side of the stem, and observe the effect of
this on the state of turgor at the diametrically opposite side. In my
first experiment on the subject of detection of induced change of
turgor I employed the stimulus of light. A narrow beam from a small arc
lamp was made to fall on the stem, at a point diametrically opposite to
the motile leaf, which was to serve as a indicator for induced variation
of turgor at the distal side. The leaf was attached to the recording
lever, the successive dots in the record being at intervals of ten
seconds. Stimulation by light caused a positive or erectile movement
within 20 seconds of application. The positive response afforded a
conclusive proof of the induction of an increase of turgor at the distal
point. When the stimulus is moderate or of short duration, the response
remains positive. But with strong or prolonged stimulation, the slower
excitatory negative impulse is conducted to the distal point and brings
about the sudden fall of the leaf (Fig. 100). In the present case the
excitatory impulse reached the motile organ 200 seconds after the
initiation of the positive response. The stem was thin, only 2 mm. in
diameter. The velocity of excitatory impulse in a transverse direction
is thus 0·01 mm. per second; transverse transmission is, for obvious
reasons, a much slower process than longitudinal transmission of
excitation; in the _Mimosa_ stem this is about 4 mm. per second.
[Illustration: FIG. 101.--Response of leaf of _Mimosa_ under transverse
transmission of electric stimulus. (Compare this with fig. 100.)]
_Unilateral electric stimulation: Experiment 105._--In order to show
that the effects described above are not due to any particular mode of
stimulation but to stimuli in general, I carried out an additional
experiment, the stimulus employed being electrical. Two fine
pin-electrodes were pricked into the stem, opposite to the responding
leaf of _Mimosa_; these electrodes were placed vertically one above the
other, 5 mm. apart. After a suitable period, allowed for recovery from
mechanical irritation, feeble tetanising electric shock was passed
through the electrodes. The responsive effects at the distal side of the
stem is precisely similar to those induced under unilateral photic
stimulation; that is to say, the first effect was an erectile movement
of the leaf, indicative of an induced enhancement of turgor; the
excitatory negative impulse then reached the distal point and caused a
sudden fall of the leaf (Fig. 101).
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