The scientists found that their plants didn't need gravity. The research team thinks this ability is related to a plant's inherent ability to orient itself as it grows. Seeds germinated on the International Space Station sprouted roots that behaved like they would on earth - growing away from the seed to seek nutrients and water in exactly the same pattern observed with gravity.
The study revealed that features of plant growth we thought were a result of gravity acting on plant cells and organs do not actually require gravity.
The finding boosts the prospect of cultivating food plants in space.
-- The study findings appear in the latest issue of the journal BMC Plant Biology
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