Century-old theory of how plants grow has been overturned by a new study - Earth.com
earth.com
A century-old belief that a plant's outer skin controls its growth has been overturned — genes deep inside the tissue are running the show.
Cell Autonomy TheoryGene Regulatory NetworksTissue Layer HypothesisDevelopmental Biology
Theory Briefing
- For 100 years, botanists held that the outermost cell layer, the epidermis, acts as the master controller of plant growth.
- A new study finds that genes buried deep inside plant tissues are actually directing how plants grow and develop.
- The finding challenges a foundational assumption in plant biology, potentially reshaping how scientists breed and engineer crops.