🌱 Plant Growth and Development
How do tiny seeds become towering trees? Let's explore the amazing science behind how plants grow, develop, and respond to their environment!
🔬 Section 1: What Is Plant Growth?
Plant growth is an irreversible increase in size and mass. This happens because of two cellular processes:
1. Cell Division
One cell splits into two identical daughter cells, increasing the number of cells.
More Cells → More Mass
2. Cell Enlargement
Cells absorb water and nutrients, expanding in size — especially in length (called elongation).
Bigger Cells → Bigger Plant
Development is different from simple growth — it involves cells becoming more complex and specialized. A cell near the root tip might become a water-absorbing root hair cell, while a cell in a leaf might become packed with chloroplasts for photosynthesis.
Three Phases of Cell Development in a Root Tip
Cells produced in the root-tip meristem go through three distinct phases: