BRAINCAKEGrowth Patterns
When size is plotted against time, the shape of the curve shows the growth pattern of an organism.
Sigmoid (S-shaped) growth is the most common pattern, seen in annual plants and many animals. There is a slow lag phase at first, when there are few cells; then a rapid phase in which the growth rate is greatest; then growth slows and the curve levels off at a plateau as the organism reaches its mature size. In old age there may be a decline in size (negative growth).
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Key terms in this lesson
- exoskeleton
- A hard external skeleton, such as the cuticle of an insect, that supports and protects the body but must be shed for growth.
More in The Cell Cycle
- Asexual Reproduction
- Sporulation
- Regeneration
- Budding
- Vegetative Propagation
- Mitosis and Growth and Repair
- Measuring Growth
- Growth in Plants
All 18 lessons in The Cell Cycle · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics