Table of Contents
What is Stem Modification?
Stem modification is the process by which a stem changes its form or function. This can happen through changes in the environment, such as the amount of sunlight a plant receives, or through changes in the plant itself, such as when it flowers.
Types of stem modifications with examples
There are various types of stem modifications with examples.
- Inflectional stem modification: This type of stem modification done by adding suffixes’ to the stem. For example, the stem ‘walk’ inflected to form walked, walking, and walked.
- Derivational stem modification: This type of stem modification done by adding derivational affixes to the stem. For example, the stem ‘walk’ derivationally modified to form walker, walking, and walkable.
- Compound stem modification: This type of stem modification done by combining two or more stems to form a new stem. For example, the stems ‘read’ and ‘write’ are combined to form the compound stem ‘readwrite’.
- Reduplication: This type of stem modification is done by repeating the stem. For example, the stem ‘walk’ is reduplicated to form walk-walk.
Type I: Underground stem modifications
Underground stem modifications are physical changes that occur to a plant’s stem as it grows underground. These changes can include the development of new roots, the growth of protective scales or thorns, and the formation of tubercles (small, fleshy storage organs). Underground stem modifications help plants adapt to their underground environment and survive in difficult conditions.
Rhizome
A rhizome is a modified underground stem that sends out shoots and roots from its nodes. It is often found in plants that reproduce by runners, such as strawberries and blackberries. The rhizome helps to store food and water, and it often anchors the plant in the soil.
Bulb Modification
There are many ways to modify a light bulb, but one of the most common is to add a filament to the bulb. This can done by adding a wire to the bulb and then heating it up with a lighter. The wire will become hot and will light up the bulb.
Tuber
culosis is a bacterial infection that most commonly affects the lungs. It spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Symptoms of tuberculosis include coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, and night sweats. Tuberculosis can treated with antibiotics, but if left untreated, it can be fatal.
Type II: Subaerial modification of stem
- Type III: Subaerial modification of roots
- IV: Emergence of aerial shoots
- Type V: Adventitious rooting
- VI: Floating
- Type VII: Sinking
- VIII: Burrowing
Type III: Aerial stem modifications
These are in which the stem modified to allow it to grow in the air. This type of modification seen in plants such as the bamboo and the asparagus.
Stem Tendrils
The stem of a grapevine is the main part of the plant that grows upright. It covered in thin, green vines that wrap around objects to help the grapevine climb. The stem also has small, green leaves that help the plant to photosynthesize.
Phylloclade
A phylloclade is a flattened stem with leaf-like appendages. Phylloclades are common in the flowering plant family Asteraceae.
Cladophylls
Cladophylls are simple, one-cell thick, green leaves that are common in green algae. They flat and blade-like, and used for photosynthesis.
Bulbil
A bulbil is a small bulb that forms on the stem of a plant, usually a grass. It is a means of asexual reproduction, and the bulbil will grow into a new plant.
Thalamus
The thalamus is a large, paired, bean-shaped mass of gray matter located deep in the brain. It is a part of the forebrain and is responsible for relaying sensory and motor information to and from the cerebral cortex. The thalamus also plays a role in regulating consciousness, sleep, and arousal.
