Asymmetry in Plants-Biology of Handedness

Plants exhibit forms of asymmetry analogous to "handedness" in bilaterally symmetrical animals. This book explores the evolutionary significance and development of asymmetry. Examples of genetic control include the direction of tendril or stem coiling of many climbing plants; the so-called spiral phyllotaxy and floral taxy; and contorted petal arrangement is another kind of left- right symmetry in plants; the direction of contortion is fixed in some but not in other plants. The book will underscore tha all phenomena related to handedness start during embryogenesis itself, with the occurrence of embryo rotation. Contents The Concept of Handedness. The handedness of the Universe. Perversion with a twist. Left-Right asymmetry in Plants and animals. Chirality in biological molecules. Handedness in nucleic acids. Helical thickening in tracheary elements. Embryo rotation. Nutational movements and their possible relation to tension wood differentiation. Handedness in plant tendrils. Seedling handedness in angiosperms. Handedness in climbing plants and lianas of Amazon and adjacent regions. Fibonacci sequence and spiral systems in plants. Enantiostyly, inversostyly. Phyllotaxy in Date palms. Leaf asymmetry. Plant Handedness in relation to yield. Corolla enatiomophism/Mirror images. Handedness in fossil plants. Fibonacci spirals general account. Fibonacci spirals in coconut and other palms. Handedness and yield in coconut. Handedness in relarion to yield in plants. Spiral grains in coinfer woods. Left- right handed in gymnosperm cones. Handedness in inflorescens of Orchids, Euphorbia and Aroids. Heteranthery in some legumes. Sunflower Spirals. Fibonacci spirals in palms Palms. Phyllotaxy in Alstroemeria. Twining in Dioscorea remizoa. Twining in Basella. Molecular and genetic basis of left-right handedness in plants.