Analysis of Growth Patterns in Barley Coleoptiles

Barley coleoptiles were observed to be remarkably variable in height at 72 hr of germination. The objective or the study presented here was to analyze this variation in growth among coleoptiles and to attempt to determine its cause. The first step in this analysis of the variation was to determine the growth patterns of 900 individual coleoptiles by measuring their heights periodically during their growth period. In determining the cause for the variation, genetic, environmental, hormonal, metabolic and cytoplasmic factors were considered. For example, since gibberellin and kinetin have been implicated in the control of cell division and cell elongation these growth factors were supplied exogenously to germinating seedlings in an attempt to stimulate uniform growth of all coleoptiles. In similar studies, the effect or physical conditions and co2 on coleoptile growth was determined variation in growth is shown by any one of a number of parameters. Proteins, however, because they are closer to gene activity than the others are a better indicator of whether the variation in growth is caused at a fundamental level. Variations similar to those in coleoptile height were found in the amino acid analysis of different types of coleoptiles. Experiments were also done to determine if a genetic component was responsible for the variation in coleoptile growth. There was no correlation between germination pattern of a seedling and that of its progeny; therefore, the variation in growth was attributed to differences in cytoplasmic constituents of individual coleoptiles.