Plants come in a fabulous array of shapes and sizes – from the tiny moss to the huge oak, from the tree-like structure to the delicate beauty of orchids. All these living things start with a single cell. How does this variety happen and what can we learn from it?
The tiny molecular mechanisms that determine the forms of plants lie in the cell wall, the strong fibrous material that surrounds each cell. The cell wall and its shape give the plant its shape, allowing it to grow upwards, outwards and downwards in certain ways so that the resulting plant has the characteristic shape we associate with it, whether a twining vine or a giant Redwood.
In a talk tomorrow (Wednesday 13 March) evening, taking place as part of Cambridge Science Festival, molecular biologist Dr Siobhan Braybrook will explore how plants grow shapes by following an intricate process of patterning – as cells multiply and build the structures that make up their component parts. In particular, she will look at the mathematics, physics, and chemistry that underlie this patterning, including the development of Fibonacci patterns in plants.
The lecture – titled ‘Biological design: the history and future of plant architecture’ - will give an overview of the fundamental processes of plant growth – and explore what we know, how we make use of this knowledge in agriculture, and what remains to be discovered.
‘Biological design: the history and future of plant architecture’ will take place at the Sainsbury Laboratory on Wednesday 13 March, 7.30-8.30pm. The free talk is suitable for ages 16 and upwards. Advance booking essential: http://www.cam.ac.uk/sciencefestival/events/
Read the full story
Image: Scanning electron micrograph image of sunflower head developing.
Credit: Siobhan Braybrook
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge
____________________________________________________________