HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts Revision notes
15 Growth and development
15.1 Concepts of growth and development
1. Growth is the permanent and irreversible increase in the dry mass
and size of an organism. It is often brought about by cell division
and cell enlargement.
2. Development is the increase in complexity of an organism. It is
brought about by the differentiation or specialization of cells: cells
specialize into different types to perform different functions.
15.2 How to measure growth
3. The advantages and disadvantages of using various growth
parameters:
Parameter Advantages Disadvantages
Dry mass • Accurate as it shows • The organisms being
the actual amount of measured are killed.
organic matter
• Time-consuming
(biomass) of an
organism • Impractical for large
organisms
Fresh • Fast and convenient • Varies with water content
mass which is easily affected by
• Repeated
environmental conditions
measurements can
and the behaviours of the
be made.
organism
Size • Fast and convenient • Growth is often measured
only in one dimension;
• Repeated
growth in other dimensions
measurements can
may be neglected.
be made.
© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 15-1
HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts Revision notes
4. A growth curve shows the growth pattern of an organism. For many
organisms, their growth curves are S-shaped.
Growth
parameter
Time
lag phase: log phase: deceleration phase: stationary phase:
growth is slow growth occurs growth gradually no growth occurs
as only a few rapidly as cell slows down
cells are number and cell
present at start size increase
15.3 Seed germination
5. Germination is the process by which a seed grows and develops into
a seedling. Water, warmth and oxygen are the conditions necessary
for seed germination.
6. A seed consists of an embryo surrounded by a seed coat. The
embryo is made up of:
• a plumule which grows into the stem and leaves
• a radicle which grows into the roots
• one or two cotyledons which contain food reserves
© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 15-2
HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts Revision notes
micropyle
• a small hole plumule
through • develops into
seed coat which water the shoot
• protects the and oxygen
enter the radicle
embryo from
• develops into embryo
damage and seed
the root
attack by
hilum
microorganisms cotyledon
• a scar
(e.g. bacteria • contains
formed
and fungi) food reserves
when the
a External appearance seed b Cut open longitudinally
detached
from the
ovary wall
7. The main events in seed germination:
• Water enters the seed through the micropyle. The cotyledons swell
and rupture the seed coat.
• The radicle grows and develops into the root. Root hairs are
formed.
• The plumule grows and develops into the shoot.
• The shoot straightens after it has grown above the soil. The
cotyledons turn green and carry out photosynthesis for a short
period of time.
• Green leaves emerge to carry out photosynthesis. The cotyledons
shrink and fall off.
© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 15-3
HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts Revision notes
15.4 Growth and development in flowering plants
8. The typical growth curve of annual plants is S-shaped (sigmoid) and
can be divided into three stages:
120
100
80
Dry mass (g)
60
40
20
Time
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 (weeks)
The dry mass first decreases. It is because some of the food
reserves in the seed is used in respiration to provide energy for
growth.
Green leaves have developed. When the rate of photosynthesis is
higher than the rate of respiration, there is a net gain of organic
matter. This results in an increase in dry mass.
The dry mass eventually decreases when the plant disperses fruits
and seeds.
© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 15-4
HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts Revision notes
9. Growth and development occur at root tips and shoot tips in three
regions:
phloem xylem
root hairs
thick cell wall
large central
vacuole
region of
differentiation
small vacuoles
thin cell wall
region of
dense cytoplasm elongation
with no vacuole region of
nucleus cell division
root cap
• Region of cell division: cells divide actively by mitotic cell division,
making many new cells.
• Region of elongation: cells take in water by osmosis to form
many vacuoles in the cytoplasm, stretching the cell walls, and so
the cells elongate. This increases the length of roots and shoots
(primary growth).
• Region of differentiation: cells differentiate into different cell
types.
10. Cells of the vascular cambium divide and differentiate to form
secondary phloem and secondary xylem. These secondary tissues
increase the thickness of the stems and roots (secondary growth).
© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 15-5
HKDSE BIOLOGY: Connecting Concepts Revision notes
15.5 Growth and development in humans
11. In humans, growth occurs most rapidly during infancy and
adolescence.
12. Different parts of the human body grow at different rates.
13. The growth patterns of boys and girls are different during
adolescence. Rapid growth begins earlier in girls than in boys because
puberty begins earlier in girls. But the increased rate of growth in
boys is greater than in girls.
© Aristo Educational Press Ltd. 15-6