Here comes the sun: Cellular sensor helps plants find light
Friday, December 25, 2015 - 17:50
in Biology & Nature
In the stem of the Arabidopsis plant, the light-sensitive receptor CRY2 (yellow) spurs a plant to begin a growth cycle and avoid shade. Despite seeming passive, plants wage wars with each other to outgrow and absorb sunlight. If a plant is shaded by another, it becomes cut off from essential sunlight it needs to survive.