BRAINCAKEPhotoperiodism
Photoperiodism is the response of an organism to changes in the photoperiod, the relative lengths of day and night. In plants, photoperiod controls flowering, and in some species also dormancy and tuber formation.
Away from the equator, day length changes with the seasons in a regular, predictable way, so it is a reliable signal of the time of year. Using it means that all the plants of a species in an area flower at the same time, which improves cross-pollination, and that flowering happens when pollinators are active and seeds can develop before winter.
The dark period is what matters
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Key terms in this lesson
- phytochrome
- A blue-green plant pigment existing in two interconvertible forms sensitive to red and far-red light, controlling responses such as flowering and germination.
More in Chemical Control
- Synergy and Antagonism
- Apical Dominance
- Sensory Systems in Plants
- Phytochromes
- Long Day Plants
- Short Day Plants
- Day Neutral Plants
- Signal Detection
All 30 lessons in Chemical Control · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics