Year 11 - Science
The effect of gravity on the growth of seedlings: practical
Plant growth and development
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit covers the role of plant hormones like auxins, gibberellins, and ethene in growth and development, including phototropism and gravitropism. It explores their commercial uses and focuses on experiments, data analysis, and presenting scientific explanations.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to measure, record and explain the growth response of seedlings placed in different orientations.
Key Notes
- Investigating the response of germinated seedlings to gravity (e.g. germinated beans placed vertically and horizontally)
- Producing accurate, labelled scientific drawings to depict the growth response
- Interpreting and describing the results
- Explaining the growth response of seedlings to gravity using ideas about auxins and gravitropism
Vocabulary To Learn
- auxin: plant hormones that affect the growth of plants
- gravitropism: a plant growth response towards or opposing the direction of gravity
- scientific line drawing: simple representation of a real object
- conclusion: summary of the results of an investigation with data and scientific explanations
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may think that a drawing must be as realistic as possible hence sketching is encouraged. Pupils may also think that roots will continue to grow in the direction that they start.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Investigating the response of germinated seedlings to gravity (e.g. germinated beans placed vertically and horizontally). Producing accurate, labelled scientific drawings to depict the growth response.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'auxin'
plant hormones that affect the growth of plants. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may think that a drawing must be as realistic as possible hence sketching is encouraged. Pupils may also think that roots will continue to grow in the direction that they start. Correction: Emphasise that a line diagram is a simple representation of an object so sketching is not best practise. This lesson explains how roots will grow in the direction of gravity even if their orientation is changed.
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