Plants, so predictable, stay where they are. And yet,
like all living things, they also move: they grow,
adapt, shed leaves and bark, spread roots and branches,
snare pollinators, and reward cultivators. This book,
the first to thoroughly explore the subject since
Darwin's 1881 treatise on movements in plants, is a
comprehensive, up-to-date account of the mechanisms and
the adaptive values that move plants. Drawing on
examples across the spectrum of plant families -
including mosses, ferns, conifers, and flowering plants
- the author opens a window on how plants move: within
cells, as individual cells, and via organs. Opening with
an explanation of how cellular motors work and how cells
manage to move organs, Dov Koller considers the movement
of roots, tubers, rhizomes, and other plant parts
underground, as well as the more familiar stems, leaves,
and flowers. Throughout, Koller presents information at
the subcellular and cellular levels, including the roles
of receptors, signaling pathways, hormones, and
physiological responses in motor function. He also
discusses the adaptive significance of movements.His
book exposes the workings of a world little understood
and often overlooked, the world of restless plants and
the movements by which they accomplish the necessary
functions of their lives. |
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