Unraveling the Enigma: Decoding Sunflowers' Sun-Tracking Abilities
Sunflowers have long been known to track the sun across the sky, a process called heliotropism. However, researchers have discovered that sunflowers do not use conventional processes to achieve this. While many plants bend towards a light source due to the activation of blue light receptors and the concentration of hormones on the dark side, sunflowers exhibit a different mechanism. The genes switched on in sunflowers grown indoors under artificial blue light suggest a conventional process, but outdoor sunflowers show little difference in gene activation between the sunny and shady sides. Blocking specific light wavelengths did not affect heliotropism, indicating multiple light-signalling pathways are likely involved. The study highlights the complexity of sunflower solar tracking and suggests that findings from controlled environments may not reflect real-world conditions.