Question

What is the wilting of plants?
A. Removal of leaves by the plants
B. Loss of rigidity in non-woody parts of plants
C. Respiration process in the night by the plants
D. Guttation

Answer 1

Hint: The drooping of the leaves due to the loss of water in the plant parts resulting in the loss of rigidity in the leaves and aerial part of the plant.

Complete answer:
Wilting is the loss of non- woody parts of the plants. This occurs when the non- woody plant cells have low water content leading to zero turgor pressure.

Additional information
- Wilting exposes the surface area of the leaves which reduces the water loss. The rate of loss of water from the plant is greater than the rate of absorption of water in the plant.
- Wilting is the defense of the plant against the absence of the water.
- When there is less amount of water present in the leaves of the plant, the plant will wilt so that its surface area decreases and therefore the rate of transpiration which occurs through stomata will also decrease and this, in turn, will also decrease the loss of water that is present in the plant.
- The process of wilting leads to the erectophile conditions of the plants and also modifies the distribution of the leaf angle.
- The plants lower their ability to grow and transpire which further leads to the death of the plant.

So, the correct answer is ‘Loss of rigidity in non- woody parts of plants’.

Note: Wilting is an effect of the plant growth- inhibiting hormone, abscisic acid. The hormone which is involved in the growth and developmental processes is the Abscisic acid (ABA). This acid is responsible for the dormancy of seed and bud. It also controls the size of the organ and regulates the opening and closing of the stomata. It is especially important for the plants in the response of environmental stresses, including drought, salinity, cold tolerance, freezing tolerance, heat stress, and heavy metal ion tolerance