Answer to Question #103313 in Human Anatomy and Physiology for Nibedita Rudra

Question

Describe properties of phytochrome and various biological responses controlled by it.

Answer 1

Phytochromes are a class of photoreceptor in plants, bacteria and fungi used to detect light. They are sensitive to light in the red and far-red region of the visible spectrum and can be classed as either Type I, which are activated by far-red light, or Type II that are activated by red light.

 Phytochrome is an important pigment that regulates photomorphogenic aspects of plant growth and development, such as seed germination, stem elongation, leaf expansion, formation of certain pigments, chloroplast development, and flowering.