• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
Sunflowers ‘Dance’ To Optimize Sunlight Exposure In Collective Growth Strategy‌
‌

Sunflowers ‘Dance’ To Optimize Sunlight Exposure In Collective Growth Strategy‌ ‌

August 27, 2024
SEN. STEVE DAINES AND REP. STEVE WOMACK: Congress Should Be Able To Ban Flag Burning

SEN. STEVE DAINES AND REP. STEVE WOMACK: Congress Should Be Able To Ban Flag Burning

June 14, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: Thune Says Trump Nominees Are Being Confirmed At Rapid Pace Despite ‘Historic’ Obstruction

EXCLUSIVE: Thune Says Trump Nominees Are Being Confirmed At Rapid Pace Despite ‘Historic’ Obstruction

June 14, 2025
Democratic State Lawmaker, Husband Killed In ‘Politically-Motivated Assassination’

Democratic State Lawmaker, Husband Killed In ‘Politically-Motivated Assassination’

June 14, 2025
CASEY RYAN: Accreditors Wield Power To End DEI In Schools

CASEY RYAN: Accreditors Wield Power To End DEI In Schools

June 14, 2025
How NYC’s Little-Understood Voting System Could Lead To A Socialist Mayor

How NYC’s Little-Understood Voting System Could Lead To A Socialist Mayor

June 14, 2025
DAVID BLACKMON: Trump Ends Newsom’s Terrible Week By Killing His EV Mandate

DAVID BLACKMON: Trump Ends Newsom’s Terrible Week By Killing His EV Mandate

June 14, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: VA Sec Says Days Of Unions, Contractors Owning His Agency Are Over

EXCLUSIVE: VA Sec Says Days Of Unions, Contractors Owning His Agency Are Over

June 13, 2025
LA News Outlet Caught In Lie That ICE Targeted Pregnant Woman. It Really Went After Her Illegal Husband.

LA News Outlet Caught In Lie That ICE Targeted Pregnant Woman. It Really Went After Her Illegal Husband.

June 13, 2025
‘My Blood Is Boiling’: Dem Strategist Melts Down Over Alex Padilla Getting Booted From Noem Presser

‘My Blood Is Boiling’: Dem Strategist Melts Down Over Alex Padilla Getting Booted From Noem Presser

June 13, 2025
SHOSHANA BRYEN: Israel Has Rights Beyond The ‘Right To Exist’

SHOSHANA BRYEN: Israel Has Rights Beyond The ‘Right To Exist’

June 13, 2025
‘Everyone Move, Now!’: Fox News Crew Takes Cover Live On-Air As Iran Launches Counter Strikes Against Israel

‘Everyone Move, Now!’: Fox News Crew Takes Cover Live On-Air As Iran Launches Counter Strikes Against Israel

June 13, 2025
Officials Fear ‘Potential Tiananmen Square Moment’ at Military Parade

Officials Fear ‘Potential Tiananmen Square Moment’ at Military Parade

June 13, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Saturday, June 14, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home FaithTap

Sunflowers ‘Dance’ To Optimize Sunlight Exposure In Collective Growth Strategy‌ ‌

by Zenger
August 27, 2024
in FaithTap, News, Wire
247 5
0
Sunflowers ‘Dance’ To Optimize Sunlight Exposure In Collective Growth Strategy‌
‌
491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter



<p>The researchers from Tel Aviv University examined the question of how sunflowers “know” to grow in an optimal way. JORGEN HENDRIKSEN VIA UNSPLASH.</p>
<p>“></p><div class='code-block code-block-3' style='margin: 8px auto; text-align: center; display: block; clear: both;'>
<script async src=

TEL AVIV-YAFO, Israel — Sunflowers really do “dance” as they grow so as not to block solar rays from each other, reveals new research.

The study sheds light on a scientific puzzle that has occupied researchers since the days of Charles Darwin.

Researchers discovered that plants that grow in dense environments – where each plant casts a shadow on its neighbor – find a “collective solution” with the help of random movements that help them find the best growth directions.

The study by scientists at Tel Aviv University in Israel, working with colleagues at the University of Colorado, Boulder, in the United States sheds light on a puzzle that has occupied researchers since Darwin, namely the functional role of such inherent movements called circumnutations.

Study leader Professor Yasmine Meroz, from the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security at Tel Aviv University, said: “Previous studies have shown that if sunflowers are densely planted in a field where they shade each other they grow in a zigzag pattern – one forward and one back – so as not to be in each other’s shadow.

The team analyzed the growth dynamics of the sunflowers in the laboratory, where they exhibit a zig-zag pattern. MARKO BLAZEVIC VIA UNSPLASH. 

“This way they grow side by side to maximize illumination from the sun, and therefore photosynthesis, on a collective level.

“In fact, plants know how to distinguish between the shadow of a building and the green shadow of a leaf.

“If they sense the shadow of a building – they usually don’t change their growth direction, because they ‘know’ that will have no effect.

“But if they sense the shadow of a plant, they will grow in a direction away from the shadow.”

For the study, published in the journal Physical Review X, researchers examined the question of how sunflowers “know” to grow in an optimal way.

By following the movement of each individual sunflower, the team observed that the flowers were “dancing” a lot. ARTALMIGHTY VIA UNSPLASH. 

The team analyzed the growth dynamics of the sunflowers in the laboratory, where they exhibit a zig-zag pattern.

Meroz and her colleagues grew sunflowers in a high-density environment and photographed them during growth, taking pictures every few minutes.

The photographs were then combined to create a time-lapse movie.

By following the movement of each individual sunflower, the team observed that the flowers were “dancing” a lot.

According to the researchers, Darwin was the first to recognize that all plants grow while exhibiting a kind of cyclical movement or “circumnutation” – both stems and roots show such behavior.

But until now – except for a few cases such as climbing plants, which grow in huge circular movements to look for something to grab onto – it was not clear whether it was a critical feature of growth.

Meroz said: “As part of our research, we conducted a physical analysis that captured the behavior of each sunflower within the sunflower collective, and we saw that the sunflowers ‘dance’ to find the best angle so each flower would not block the sunlight of their neighbor.

“We quantified this movement statistically and showed through computer simulations that these random movements are used collectively to minimize the amount of shadow.

“It was also very surprising to find that the distribution of the sunflower’s ‘steps’ was very wide, ranging over three orders of magnitude, from close to zero displacement to a movement of two centimeters every few minutes in one direction or another.”

Meroz added: “The sunflower plant takes advantage of the fact that it can use both small and slow steps as well as large and fast ones to find the optimum arrangement for the collective.

“That is, if the range of steps was smaller or larger the arrangement would result in more mutual shading and less photosynthesis.

“This is somewhat like a crowded dance party, where individuals dance around to get more space: if they move too much they will interfere with the other dancers, but if they move too little the crowding problem will not be solved, as it will be very crowded in one corner of the square and empty on the other side.

“Sunflowers show a similar communication dynamic – a combination of response to the shade of neighboring plants, along with random movements regardless of external stimuli.”

     

     

              Produced in association with SWNS Talker

              Tags: U.S. NewsZenger
              Share196Tweet123
              Zenger

              Zenger

              Advertisements

              Top Stories June 10th
              Top Stories June 7th
              Top Stories June 6th
              Top Stories June 3rd
              Top Stories May 30th
              Top Stories May 29th
              Top Stories May 24th
              Top Stories May 23rd
              Top Stories May 21st
              Top Stories May 17th

              Join Over 6M Subscribers

              We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





              IJR

                  Copyright © 2024 IJR

              Trusted Voices On All Sides

              • About Us
              • GDPR Privacy Policy
              • Terms of Service
              • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
              • Subscribe to IJR

              Follow Us

              Welcome Back!

              Login to your account below

              Forgotten Password?

              Retrieve your password

              Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

              Log In
              No Result
              View All Result
              • Politics
              • US News
              • Commentary
              • World News
              • Faith
              • Latest Polls

                  Copyright © 2024 IJR

              Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th