Harvard researchers develop framework to explain shape of plant stems
It is well known that as plants grow, their stems and shoots respond to outside signals such as light and gravity. But if all plants have similar stimuli, why are there so many different stem shapes? Why do a weeping willow branches grow downward while nearby poison ivy shoots upward? Using simple mathematical ideas, researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) constructed a framework that explains and quantifies the different shapes of plant stems. A stem’s ‘sense of self’ contributes to plant shape Growing plant stems and shoots exhibit a variety of shapes that embody growth in response to various stimuli. Building on experimental observations, researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences can provide a quantitative biophysical theory for these shapes by accounting for the inherent observed passive and active effects. Credit: Harvard John A. Paulson School of...