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Auxins hold the key

In 1926, Dutch botanist Fritz W. Went discovered that a group of plant hormones called auxinsPlant hormones that strongly affect plant growth. strongly affect plant growth. HormonesChemicals produced in the cells of plants and animals that control bodily functions. are chemicals produced in the cells of plants and animals that control bodily functions. Stem cells with a large supply of auxins grow faster than stem cells with just a little of these hormones. Auxins are repelled (turned away) by sunlight, so when light shines on one side of a stem, the auxin moves toward the shady side. Thus, growth slows or stops on the side facing the light. While the shady side of the stem grows more quickly, the sunny side remains nearly the same. In time, the longer side of the stem arcs over the shorter...

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1. Introduction
2. Auxins hold the key
3. Reaching out—to water and fence posts
4. Experiment 1 - Phototropism: Will plants follow a maze to reach light?
5. Experiment 2 - Geotropism: Will plant roots turn toward the pull of gravity?
6. Design Your Own Experiment