A short-day plant has a critical dark period of 11 h…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A short-day plant has a critical dark period of h. It is kept in a day with h of light and no flash in the night.
- How long is the dark period?
- Does the plant flower?
- What is the greatest number of hours of light in a day that still allows it to flower?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Photoperiodism is the response to the relative lengths of day and night. A short-day plant flowers when the unbroken dark period is longer than its critical dark period. A long-day plant flowers when it is shorter. A flash in the night breaks the dark period. The leaf perceives it, and florigen moves to the shoot tip.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) The dark period is h.
Step 2. (b) The plant needs at least h of unbroken dark. It gets h, which is too short, so it does not flower.
Step 3. (c) The dark period must be h or more, so the light can be at most h.
Check. With h of light the dark is h, which is just enough.
Answer: h; no; h.
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