Table of Contents
Growth Definition;
Growth is the increase in the size of something over time. This can be in terms of its height, width, depth, or overall mass.
The Process of Growth and Development
There are many different factors that contribute to the process of growth and development. Some of these factors include heredity, environment, and the individual’s own actions.
Heredity is the passing of physical or behavioral characteristics from parents to their children. This is determined by the genes that are passed down from parents to their children. Environment is the surroundings in which a person lives and grows up. This includes the physical environment, as well as the social and cultural environment. The individual’s own actions include things such as diet, exercise, and sleep.
All of these factors work together to influence the process of growth and development.
Types of Growth in Biology
There are five types of growth in biology:
1. Cell growth: This is the process by which cells increase in size.
2. Tissue growth: This is the process by which tissues increase in size.
3. Organ growth: This is the process by which organs increase in size.
4. System growth: This is the process by which systems increase in size.
5. Population growth: This is the process by which populations increase in size.
Normal and Abnormal Growth
There is a great deal of variation in normal human growth. Height, weight, and body proportions vary from person to person, and even within a single population there is a great deal of variation.
Abnormal growth can occur when there is a problem with the way the body grows and develops. Abnormal growth can cause a person to be shorter or taller than average, or to have a different body shape or proportion than most people. Abnormal growth can also cause medical problems, such as hormone imbalances, skeletal problems, or problems with organ function.
Regeneration
is the process by which an organism replaces a lost or damaged body part with a new one.
The process of regeneration begins with the damaged cells releasing signals that attract stem cells to the wound site. The stem cells then migrate to the wound and begin to divide, forming new tissue and regenerating the lost organ or body part.
Growth Rate Biology
The growth rate of a biological organism is the measure of the increase in the size of the organism over time. It can be expressed in terms of the percentage increase in size or in terms of the absolute increase in size. The growth rate is determined by the rate of cell division and the rate of cell growth.
Stationary Phase
Stationary phase is a term used in biochemistry and microbiology to describe a phase in a biochemical reaction in which the reaction is in equilibrium. In most cases, the stationary phase is a phase in which the concentration of the reactants is constant.
Lag Phase Biology
Lag phase is a period of time when a population of cells is not dividing.
Population Growth Biology
The population of a species in an ecosystem can change in response to
1. Births
2. Deaths
3. Immigration
4. Emigration
Exponential Growth
In exponential growth, the rate of growth is proportional to the current size of the population. This means that the size of the population doubles after a certain period of time.
If the population is currently 10 and it doubles every year, then the population will be 20 after the first year, 40 after the second year, and 80 after the third year.
The equation for exponential growth is:
P = P0 e r t
Where:
P is the population size
P 0 is the initial population size
e is the natural logarithm
r is the growth rate
Logistic Growth
The pattern of population growth that results from a series of discrete steps, each of which is a fixed percentage increase over the previous period. The population size doubles after each period.
Chemotropism Biology
A tropism is a directional growth response of a plant or unicellular organism to a stimulus, such as light or gravity. There are three types of tropism: phototropism, gravitropism, and thigmotropism.
Phototropism is the growth response of a plant or unicellular organism to light. The plant or unicellular organism will grow towards the light source.
Gravitropism is the growth response of a plant or unicellular organism to gravity. The plant or unicellular organism will grow in the direction of gravity.
Thigmotropism is the growth response of a plant or unicellular organism to touch. The plant or unicellular organism will grow towards the touch.
