On the mechanical origins of waving, coiling and skewing in Arabidopsis thaliana roots.

ABSTRACT: By masterfully balancing directed growth and passive mechanics, plant roots are remarkably capable of navigating complex heterogeneous environments to find resources. Here, we present a theoretical and numerical framework which allows us to interrogate and simulate the mechanical impact of solid interfaces on the growth pattern of plant organs. We focus on the well-known waving, coiling, and skewing patterns exhibited by roots of Arabidopsis thaliana when grown on inclined surfaces, serving as a minimal model of the intricate interplay with solid substrates. By modeling growing slender organs as Cosserat rods that mechanically interact with the environment, our simulations verify hypotheses of waving and coiling arising from the combination of active gravitropism and passive root-pl

SUBMITTER: Porat A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10945788 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature