Plant roots get twisty to bypass obstacles
When faced with barriers, like a patch of stiff dirt, some roots form helical spring-like shapes, time-lapse images show.
“Evolutionarily speaking, this twisted buckling mechanism improves the fitness of the plant by allowing it to pass through barriers and explore more of its environment,” says Cornell University graduate student Jesse Silverberg.
Full story at Futurity.
Photo credit: Cornell
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