Plant's Internal Thermometer

In a recent article that I read, scientists have finally discovered what controls plant growth at various seasonal times.  Molecules called phytochromes, which help the plant locate light during the day, change during the night, acting as an internal thermometer.  These molecules become active during the day when sunlight hits them, they bind to the DNA in the cell and slow the growth of the plant.  When a plant is in the shade, growth is sped up, in the search for light again, this explains the competition between plants for light. The level that these phytochrome function is directly related to the temperature and high temperatures can cause stress for certain plants, in agriculture this leads to smaller yields, the discovery of this molecule's function will help scientists to focus on crops that are more resistant to these stresses to produce larger yields.  This is especially important with climate change and the need to feed a constantly growing population.  Recent advancements in plant genetics allows scientists to find the genes responsible for phytochrome function and be able to increase the rate that they function and alter the genes themselves. The discovery of phytochromes will be very useful in the years to come.

https://nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=104655

University of Cambridge. "Plant 'thermometer' discovered that triggers springtime budding by measuring night-time heat." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 October 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161027142952.htm>

Garrett Mulanix