Photomorphogenesis

Plant development is dependent on the environmental conditions where it is growing. Because light is the energy source for plant growth, plants have evolved highly sensitive mechanisms for perceiving light and using that information for regulating development changes to help maximize light utilization for photosynthesis. The process by which plant development is controlled by light is called photomorphogenesis. Typically, photomorphogenic responses are most obvious in germinating seedlings but light affects plant development in many ways throughout all stages of development. The movies in this section will demonstrate some of the photomorphogenic responses in plants.