There are many recent works on the topic of light and plant growth. These have not only been written by experts, but are also, in the main, written for experts (or, at least, for those who already have a fair understanding of the subject). This book has its origins in a six-week course in plant photophysiology, and its aim is to provide an introduction to the subject at an advanced undergraduate level. The imagined audience is simply a student who has asked the questions: In what ways does light affect plant growth, and how does it do it? The book is limited to aspects of photomorphogenesis. Photo synthesis is only considered where its pigments impinge on photo morphogenic investigations, or where its processes provide illustrative examples of particular interactions between light and biological material. Chapter 1 gives a general account of the various ways in which light affects plant development, and introduces topics which are subsequently covered in greater detail. In all the chapters, are special topic 'boxes', consisting of squared-off sections of text. These are simply devices for presenting explanatory background material, or material that I myself find particularly intriguing.

Light and Plant Development presents the Proceedings of the 22nd University of Nottingham Easter School in Agricultural Science. It discusses the spectral sensitivity of inhibition of flowering by light. It addresses the action spectrum for leaf enlargement and stem growth inhibition. Some of the topics covered in the book are the nature of the blue light photoreceptor in higher plants and fungi; re-examination of photochemical properties and absorption characteristics of phytochrome using high-molecular-weight preparations; and intermediates in the photoconversion of phytochrome. The high irradiance reaction is fully covered. The physiological evidence and localised responses, intracellular localisation and action of phytochrome are discussed in detail. The text describes in depth the immunological visualisation of phytochrome. The fractionation procedures and terminology are presented completely. A chapter is devoted to the photocontrol of enzyme levels. Another section focuses on the ribosomal RNA synthesis in developing leaves. The book can provide useful information to botanists, chemists, students, and researchers.

Living organisms are subject to fluctuating environmental conditions. Whereas most animals are able to move away from unfavourable conditions, plants are sessile and so must cope with whatever comes their way. Of all the environmental cues that challenge the developing plant, light can probably be considered to be the most important. In addition to its key role in plant metabolism, and hence almost all life on Earth, where it drives the process of photosynthesis, light energy also acts to regulate plant growth and development. Light quantity, quality, direction and diurnal and seasonal duration regulate processes from germination, through seedling establishment to the architecture of the mature plant and the transition to reproductive development. These developmental responses of plants to light constitute photomorphogenesis. This volume is designed to provide the reader with state-of-the-art accounts of our current knowledge of the major classes of higher plant regulatory photoreceptors and the signal transduction networks that comprise plant developmental photobiology. Consideration is also given to the ways in which knowledge of plant photoreceptors and their signalling networks can be exploited, for instance to improve the quality and productivity of commercially-grown plants. The book is directed at researchers and professionals working in plant molecular biology, plant physiology and plant biochemistry.

This book provides current information on synthesis of plant hormones, how their concentrations are regulated, and how they modulate various plant processes. It details how plants sense and tolerate such factors as drought, salinity, and cold temperature, factors that limit plant productivity on earth. It also explains how plants sense two other environmental signals, light and gravity, and modify their developmental patterns in response to those signals. This book takes the reader from basic concepts to the most up-to-date thinking on these topics. * Provides clear synthesis and review of hormonal and environmental regulation of plant growth and development * Contains more than 600 illustrations supplementary information on techniques and/or related topics of interest * Single-authored text provides uniformity of presentation and integration of the subject matter * References listed alphabetically in each section

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This book explores the ways in which plants detect, interpret and respond to the natural light environment.

Plant Growth and Development: A Molecular Approach presents the field of plant development from both molecular and genetic perspectives. This field has evolved at a rapid rate over the past five years through the increasing exploitation of the remarkable plant Arabidopsis. The small genome, rapid life cycle, and ease of transformation of Arabidopsis, as well as the relatively large number of laboratories that are using this plant for their research, have lead to an exponential increase in information about plant development mechanisms. In Plant Growth and Development: A Molecular Approach Professor Fosket synthesizes this flood of new information in a way that conveys to students the excitement of this still growing field. His textbook is based on notes developed over more than ten years of teaching a course on the molecular analysis of plant growth and development and assumes no special knowledge of plant biology. It is intended for advanced undergraduates in plant development, as well as those in plant molecular biology. Graduate students and researchers who are just beginning to work in the field will also find much valuable information in this book. Each chapter concludes with questions for study and review as well as suggestions for further reading. Illustrated with two-color drawings and graphs throughout, and containing up-to-date and comprehensive coverage, Plant Growth and Development: A Molecular Approach will excite and inform students as it increases their understanding of plant science. * * Presents plant development from a molecular and cellular perspective * Illustrates concepts with two-colour diagrams throughout * Offers key study questions and guides to further reading within each chapter * Gives an up-to-date and thorough treatment of this increasingly important subject area * Derived from the author's many years of teaching plant developmental biology