Thigmotropism Experiment

The Effects of Different Stress Levels on Bean Plants: Thigmotropism
May 3, 2012

Abstract Bean plants were planted and rubbed a certain amount of times a day to apply stress. This was to see how plants might survive in a windy area or in an environment where they might be constantly touched or moved around. They were put under four different stress levels, and the plants were measured before the start of treatment to determine how they were being affected. The hypothesis was that those who had the least amount of stress being applied to them would grow the tallest. They were measured and rubbed twice a week for two weeks and once on the third week. Results showed that the plants that were not touched grew the tallest, but those
In this experiment, we planted bean plants and put stress on them by rubbing them a certain amount of times a day. This was to see how they might survive in a windy area or in an environment where they might constantly be touched or moved around. The bean plants were under four different stress levels: the controlled plants were never touched, those that were touched two times a day, those that were touched five times a day, and those that were touched ten times a day. The plants were measured before the start of each treatment to determine how they were being affected. Our hypothesis for this experiment was that those who had the least amount of stress being applied to them would grow the
All of the plants lived to the last day of treatment, but some were much healthier than others. The leaves seemed to have withered faster the more it was touched. From these results, it seems as though our hypothesis was only half correct. Although we predicted that the control plants would grow the tallest, we also thought those that were touched the most would grow the shortest. This was proven incorrectly because the bean plants that were rubbed ten times a day grew taller than those rubbed two or five times a