gravitropism
|grav-i-trop-ism|
🇺🇸
/ˌɡrævɪˈtroʊpɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ˌɡrævɪˈtrəʊpɪz(ə)m/
growth response to gravity
Etymology
'gravitropism' originates from Latin and Greek elements: the prefix 'gravi-' from Latin 'gravis' meaning 'heavy' or related to 'gravity', combined with Greek 'tropism' from 'tropos' meaning 'turning' or 'response'.
'gravitropism' was coined in modern scientific usage (20th century) as a specialized term in plant physiology, related to the earlier term 'geotropism' (from Greek 'geo-' meaning 'earth' + 'tropos'). Over time 'gravitropism' became preferred when emphasizing gravity as the stimulus.
Initially, related terms described movement 'toward the earth' or 'turning', but the modern term specifically denotes the growth or orientation response to the force of gravity.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the directional growth or movement response of a plant or other organism to gravity (e.g., roots exhibit positive gravitropism by growing toward gravity, shoots exhibit negative gravitropism by growing away from gravity).
Gravitropism causes roots to grow downward while stems grow upward.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/31 14:37