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Ch. 37 - Plant Sensory Systems, Signals, and Responses
Freeman - Biological Science 8th Edition
Freeman8th EditionBiological ScienceISBN: 9780138276263Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 37, Problem 4

What evidence suggests that ABA from roots can signal guard cells to close?
a. If roots are given sufficient water, guard cells close anyway.
b. If roots are dry, guard cells begin to close—even though leaves may not be experiencing water stress.
c. Applying ABA to guard cells directly causes them to close.
d. If roots are dry, the ABA concentration in leaf cells drops dramatically.

Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the role of ABA (abscisic acid) in plant physiology: ABA is a plant hormone that plays a crucial role in regulating stomatal closure, especially under water stress conditions.
Identify the function of guard cells: Guard cells are responsible for opening and closing stomata, which are pores on the leaf surface that regulate gas exchange and water loss.
Analyze the options provided: Each option suggests a different scenario related to ABA and guard cell behavior.
Evaluate option b: 'If roots are dry, guard cells begin to close—even though leaves may not be experiencing water stress.' This suggests that a signal from the roots, likely ABA, is causing the guard cells to close, indicating a systemic response to root water status.
Consider the evidence: The scenario in option b supports the idea that ABA produced in the roots can travel to the leaves and signal guard cells to close, even if the leaves themselves are not directly experiencing water stress.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Abscisic Acid (ABA)

Abscisic Acid (ABA) is a plant hormone that plays a crucial role in regulating plant water balance and stress responses. It is synthesized in response to environmental stress, such as drought, and can signal guard cells to close stomata, reducing water loss. Understanding ABA's role in signaling is essential for interpreting how plants manage water stress.
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Guard Cells and Stomatal Closure

Guard cells are specialized cells surrounding stomata, which are openings on the leaf surface that regulate gas exchange and water loss. When ABA levels increase, guard cells respond by closing the stomata, thereby conserving water during periods of drought. This mechanism is vital for maintaining plant homeostasis under water-limited conditions.
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Cell Junctions

Root-to-Shoot Signaling

Root-to-shoot signaling involves communication between roots and aerial parts of the plant, often mediated by hormones like ABA. When roots detect dry conditions, they can produce ABA, which travels to the leaves to signal stomatal closure, even if the leaves themselves are not yet experiencing water stress. This concept is key to understanding how plants integrate environmental signals to optimize survival.
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Shoots and Leaves
Related Practice
Textbook Question

Evaluate the following assertions about phototropism. Select True or False for each statement.

T/F Cells on the illuminated side of a stem elongate more than cells on the shaded side.

T/F Phototropism is triggered by blue light.

T/F Phototropins play a significant role in phototropism.

T/F The bending of the plant is due to cell elongation in response to auxin.

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Textbook Question

Which of the following statements about phytochrome is not correct?

a. It is photoreversible.

b. Its function was understood long before the protein itself was isolated.

c. The Pfr form activates the responses to red light.

d. It is involved in guard-cell opening.

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Textbook Question

Which of the following statements about hormones is correct?

a. They tend to be large molecules.

b. They exert their effects only on the same cells that produce them.

c. They can exert strong effects only when they are present in high concentrations.

d. They trigger a response by binding to target-cell receptors.

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Textbook Question

Why was it logical to predict that amyloplasts function as statoliths?

a. They are dense and settle to the bottom of gravity-sensing cells.

b. They are present only in gravity-sensing cells.

c. They make a direct physical connection with membrane proteins that have been shown to be gravity-receptor molecules.

d. Their density changes in response to gravity.

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Textbook Question

Phytochromes can be considered 'shade detectors,' while phototropins such as PHOT1 can be considered 'sunlight detectors.' Explain why these characterizations are valid.

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Textbook Question

To explore how hormones function, researchers have begun to transform plants with particular genes. In one experiment, a gene involved in cytokinin synthesis was introduced into tobacco plants. Which one of the following results would be expected?

a. Individuals produced more lateral branches.

b. Stems grew extremely tall and slender.

c. Roots were incapable of responding to gravity.

d. Stomata were closed most of the time.

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