Etiolation , in the kingdom of biology , refers to a phenomenon where plants undergo elongated development in the absence of sufficient light . This lack of luminousness spark a series of physiologic change in the plants , ultimately resulting in the ontogeny of etioplasts in tissues that would normally contain chloroplasts if expose to spark .
When plant are farm in dark or gloomy - light conditions , they exhibit several adaptations to make out with the circumscribed availableness of light vigour . One of the most noticeable changes is the elongation of stems , folio , and other above - earth plant section . This elongation is a result of increased jail cell section and elongation in guild to maximise the plant ’s chance of reaching a wanton source .
During etiolation , the plant also undergo change in paint production . Chlorophyll , which is responsible for the green color in industrial plant , is synthesize in reply to light . In the absence seizure of light , the production of chlorophyll is reduced , result in pale or yellowish plants . This is why etiolate works often appear weak and pale compared to their normally grown counterpart .
Another pregnant alteration that occurs during etiolation is the growth of etioplasts . Etioplasts are specialised plastid that contain prolamellar bodies instead of the distinctive thylakoid membrane found in chloroplasts . Prolamellar bodies are thought to be precursors to the thylakoid membranes and are involved in the deductive reasoning and accruement of chlorophyll . These etioplasts are found in tissue that would normally bear chloroplasts , such as the leaves , but have not been exposed to sufficient light for chloroplast development .
Etiolation is a survival strategy employed by plants when they are ineffective to get at adequate light . It allows them to conserve vigor and imagination until they can strain a more favorable promiscuous source . Etiolated flora often exhibit a rapid response to clean exposure , with changes in maturation patterns and paint production occurring within hours or even minutes of calorie-free exposure .
In my personal experience as a nurseryman , I have encountered instances of etiolation in works that were unwittingly placed in low - light arena . For example , I once had a potted flora that I had range on a ledge near a window . However , I later realized that the shelf was positioned in such a way that it blocked most of the sunlight from hit the plant life . As a result , the plant life commence to stretch its stems in an endeavor to reach the promiscuous root , and its folio turned wan . recognize the issue , I quick make a motion the plant to a more worthy emplacement with fair to middling light , and over time , it regained its vibrant light-green color and sizeable ontogenesis .
Etiolation is a biological phenomenon observed in plants when they experience prolonged growth in the absence of light . This adaptive response involves elongated growth , reduce chlorophyl yield , and the evolution of etioplasts in tissues that would normally carry chloroplasts . Etiolated plants seem weak and pale due to their want of exposure to light . However , they can speedily recuperate and re-start normal growth once provided with adequate light conditions .
Caroline Bates
