You have a really leafy houseplant that completely shades the soil in the pot where it is growing. You notice that the tips of some roots are starting to break through the surface of the soil (likely these are new roots growing from the pericycle of an existing root just beneath the surface). If you do nothing, what would you expect to happen to the growth of these roots and why?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The roots will most likely grow downward back into the soil because the statoliths are being redistributed due to gravity and that will change the direction of growth. Statoliths are specialized organelles in root cells that are involved in gravity sensing and response. When the tips of the roots encounter a change in gravity, the statoliths will move to one side of the cell and trigger a series of biochemical events that cause the root to grow in the opposite direction, in this case, back into the soil.

You Have a Really Leafy Houseplant That Completely Shades the Soil