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NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 13 Plant Growth and Development

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 13 Plant Growth and Development

Edited By Irshad Anwar | Updated on May 26, 2025 12:23 AM IST

Plant growth and development explains how plants grow, change and respond to their surroundings. This chapter explains the different stages of plant growth and how both internal and external factors, like temperature, light and nutrients, affect development. The student will also learn about special chemicals called plant hormones that control growth, flowering and other changes in the plant's life. The NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 13 Plant Growth and Development will help students understand complex topics like seed dormancy, vernalisation and photoperiodism with clear explanations and examples.

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This Story also Contains
  1. Download PDF of NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 13: Plant Growth and Development
  2. NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 13: Plant Growth and Development (Solved Exercise)
  3. Most Important Questions Class 11 Chapter 13 Plant Growth and Development
  4. Approach to Solve Questions of Class 11 Chapter 13
  5. What Extra Should Students Study Beyond the NCERT for NEET?
  6. NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology: Chapter-wise
NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 13 Plant Growth and Development
NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 13 Plant Growth and Development

Understanding these topics with the help of the answers can improve conceptual clarity. For students preparing for exams, learning the chapter is important for scoring well. The NCERT solutions prove very useful for students in their board exams. Referring to the NCERT Class 11 Solutions Biology provides step-by-step explanations of key concepts.

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Download PDF of NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 13: Plant Growth and Development

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NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 13: Plant Growth and Development (Solved Exercise)

The solved exercise questions are given below:

Q1. Define growth, differentiation, development, dedifferentiation, development, redifferentiation, determinate growth, meristem and growth rate.

Solution:

Growth:

It is a permanent, irreversible increase in the size of an organ, one of its components, or even a single cell. Metabolic processes that are taking place as a result of the energy support growth.

Differentiation:

A localized qualitative change in the size, biochemistry, structure, and function of cells, tissues, or organs, such as mesophyll, a leaf, a fibre, a vessel, a trachea, or a sieve tube, is known as differentiation. As a result, both the form and the physiological activity change. It leads to specialization in certain functions.

Development:

Development refers to all the changes an organism experiences over the course of its existence.

Dedifferentiation:

Plants that have lost the ability to divide can regain it under specific circumstances. Dedifferentiation is the term used to describe this phenomenon. Example: meristem formation.

Redifferentiation:

It is referred to as redifferentiation when cells produced by dedifferentiation mature to carry out particular functions but once more lose the ability to divide.

Determinate growth:

Determinate growth is the capacity of a cell, tissue, or organism to grow for a specific amount of time. The majority of plants grow indefinitely; however, some plants reach a certain size before ceasing to expand.

Meristem:

The term "meristem" refers to plant tissue made up of undifferentiated cells (meristematic cells).

Growth rate:

A growth rate is an increase in growth per unit of time.

Q2. Why is not any one parameter good enough to demonstrate growth throughout the life of a flowering plant?

Solution:

An increase in protoplasm production leads to growth. The parameters used to measure protoplasmic growth include changes in height, weight, number of cells, fresh tissue sample, length, area, volume, etc. As a result, it is challenging to identify a single growth parameter that characterizes a flowering plant's development over its lifetime.

Q3. Describe briefly.

(a) Arithmetic growth

(b) Geometric growth

(c) Sigmoid growth curve

(d) Absolute and relative growth rates

Solution:

(a) Arithmetic growth

Only one daughter cell divides during arithmetic growth, while the other differentiates and matures. A root extending at a constant rate is the most basic illustration of arithmetic growth.

 Arithmetic growth

It can be mathematically expressed as:

Lt = Lo + rt

Lt = length of time ‘t’

Lo = length at the time ‘zero’

R = growth rate/elongation per unit of time

(b) Geometric growth

The initial phase of geometric growth is slow (lag phase), and the subsequent exponential or logarithmic phase sees a rapid increase. Here, both of the progeny cells that result from mitotic cell division are still able to divide. Due to the insufficient nutrient supply, the growth slows down and enters a stationary phase. In geometric growth, the number grows in a multiplicative pattern.

Geometric growth

If we plot the growth parameter against time for geometric growth, we obtain a typical sigmoid or S-curve.

Exponential growth can be expressed as:

W1 = Wo ert

W1 = final size

Wo = initial size of the period;

r = growth rate

t = time growth

e = base of natural logarithms

'r' stands for relative growth and the efficiency index, which measures how well plants can produce new plant materials. Wo's initial size determines the final size of W1, thus.

(c) Sigmoid growth curve

Plotting growth against time results in an S-shaped graph that has four main parts: a slow lag phase, exponential phase or rapid phase, stage of diminishing growth, and stationary phase.

Sigmoid growth curve

(d) Absolute and relative growth rates

The net growth per unit of time is known as the absolute growth rate. The growth rate per unit of time per unit of initial growth is known as the relative growth rate.

Q4. List five main groups of natural plant growth regulators. Write a note on the discovery, physiological functions and agricultural/horticultural applications of any one of them.

Solution:

Plant growth regulators are the intercellular intrinsic factors (chemical substances) that are responsible for the growth and development of plants.

The following are the top five categories of natural plant growth regulators (PGR):

  • Auxins
  • Gibberellins
  • Cytokinins
  • Abscisic acid
  • Ethylene

These PGRs are synthesized in various plant parts and regulate various developmental and differentiation processes that occur throughout a plant's life cycle.

Gibberellins

Discovery:

  • One of the first gibberellins to be found, designated as GA1, GA2, and GA3, is gibberellic acid, which is acidic.
  • More than 100 gibberellins have been identified in a variety of different sources, including fungi and other higher plants.

Physiological functions:

  • Plants respond physiologically to gibberellins in a variety of ways.
  • They have the ability to increase the length of the axis, which can result in an increase in the length of grape stalks.
  • Fruits like apples elongate and acquire a better shape as a result of their presence.
  • They are in charge of putting off the senescence process.

Agricultural/horticultural applications:

  • The fruits can be left on the tree for longer to increase the market period because the senescence process is delayed.
  • Gibberellic acid, or GA3, is a substance that is used to accelerate the malting procedure in the brewing industry.
  • By spraying the sugarcane crop with gibberellins, which lengthen the stem and increase yield by up to 20 tonnes per acre because sugarcane stems store carbohydrates as sugar, the crop is able to store more carbohydrates as sugar.
  • Spraying GAs on young conifers can shorten their maturation period and promote early seed production.
  • Additionally, it encourages the bolting process in plants like cabbage and beets. The elongation of the internode that occurs just before flowering is known as bolting.

Q5. Why is abscisic acid also known as stress hormone?

Solution:

Abscisic acid is responsible for stimulating the closure of stomata in the epidermis and raising the tolerance of plants to different types of stresses. This is why it is also known as the stress hormone. In order to ensure that seeds germinate under favourable conditions, abscisic acid is in charge of promoting seed dormancy. This makes it easier for seeds to withstand desiccation and induces dormancy in plants near the end of the growing season, which encourages the abscission of fruits, leaves, and flowers.

Q6. ‘Both growth and differentiation in higher plants are open.’ Comment.

Solution:

Due to the presence of meristems at specific locations of their bodies, higher plants have the ability to retain the capacity to have indefinite growth throughout their life span. Because of these meristems, the cells have the ability to divide and grow on their own. This explains why the growth in higher plants is open. Following several rounds of cell division, some of these cells go through differentiation. Therefore, differentiation is also open.

Q7. ‘Both a short-day plant and a long-day plant can produce flowers simultaneously in a given place.’ Explain.

Solution:

In a few plants, flowering depends on the relative durations of light and dark periods. Under the condition that they receive enough photoperiod, both long-day and short-day plants can bloom in the same location.

Q8. Which one of the plant growth regulators would you use if you were asked to:

(a) induce rooting in a twig.

(b) quickly ripen a fruit.

(c) delay leaf senescence.

(d) induce growth in axillary buds.

(e) ‘bolt’ a rosette plant.

(f) induce immediate stomatal closure in leaves.

Solution:

The plant growth regulators for the related events are listed below:

(a) induce rooting in a twig. – Auxins

(b) quickly ripen a fruit. – Ethylene

(c) delay leaf senescence. – Cytokinins

(d) induce growth in axillary buds. – Cytokinins

(e) ‘bolt’ a rosette plant. – Gibberellins

(f) induce immediate stomatal closure in leaves. – Abscisic acid

Q9. Would a defoliated plant respond to the photoperiodic cycle? Why?

Solution:

No, a defoliated plant will not respond to the photoperiodic cycle. This is due to the fact that the leaves serve as the sites where dark or light duration is perceived. Therefore, plants would not respond to light if leaves were not present.

Q10. What would be expected to happen if:

(a) GA3 is applied to rice seedlings.

(b) dividing cells stop differentiating.

(c) a rotten fruit gets mixed with unripe fruits.

(d) you forget to add cytokinin to the culture medium.

Solution:

(a) If GA3 is applied to rice seedlings:

The rice seedlings will show internode-elongation, and hence, an increase in height will be observed.

(b) If dividing cells stop differentiating:

The various plant parts, including the stem and leaves, will not form if the dividing cells stop differentiating.

(c) If rotten fruit gets mixed with unripe fruit:

When unripe fruits are combined with rotten fruits, the unripe fruits ripen more quickly due to the ethylene produced by the rotten fruits, which is a plant growth regulator.

(d) If you forget to add cytokinin to the culture medium:

The processes of cell division, differentiation, and growth will be muted and slowed down if cytokinin is not added to the culture medium.


Most Important Questions Class 11 Chapter 13 Plant Growth and Development

Q1: Growth can be measured in various ways. Which of these can be used as parameters to measure growth?

Options:

1. Increase in cell number

2. Increase in cell size

3. Increase in length and weight

4. All the above

Answer:

Generally speaking, plant growth is indeterminate; plants can continue to develop for the duration of their lives. This is because specific parts of their bodies contain meristems, which have the capacity to divide and reproduce themselves. The open form of growth refers to the process by which the meristem's activity continuously adds new cells to the plant body. Growth Is Measurable: Growth at the cellular level results from an increase in protoplasm, which is hard to quantify. Plant growth is quantified using a variety of techniques, such as a rise in fresh weight, volume, dry weight, or cell number. The apical meristem of a single maize root can produce more than
The growth can be in lateral or apex regions and can cause an enlargement in height or weight; all of these changes are collectively termed growth.

Hence, the correct answer is option 4) All the above

Check the NCERT Books and NCERT Syllabus here:

Approach to Solve Questions of Class 11 Chapter 13

To solve Plant Growth and Development questions efficiently, the following needs to be done:

  1. Understand key concepts like growth phases and plant hormones.
  2. Underline words like development, growth, and meristem.
  3. Redo functions of auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, ethylene, and ABA.
  4. Outline the seed germination and growth stages of a plant, time and again.
  5. Refer NCERT textbook solution sets.
  6. Underline key processes like vernalization and photoperiodism.
  7. Practice the previous year's question papers for revision before the exam.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11: Subject-wise

What Extra Should Students Study Beyond the NCERT for NEET?

Here is a table for all the important topics from the chapter:

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology: Chapter-wise

NCERT solutions for all chapters are given below:-

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the benefits of plant growth and development NCERT pdf?
  • You will get all the answers to plant growth and development ncert and plant growth and development class 11 ncert pdf will help you to score good marks in the exam.  
  • NCERT is the base of your learning.  
  • NCERT solutions for class 11 biology chapter 15 plant growth and development will also help you with competitive exams like NEET.  
  • To score well in the examination, follow the NCERT syllabus and solve the exercise given in the NCERT Book. To practice more problems, students must refer to NCERT Exemplar.
2. How does photoperiodism affect plant growth?

Photoperiodism, the plant's response to the relative lengths of light and dark periods, significantly impacts plant growth, influencing flowering, vegetative growth, and even dormancy, allowing plants to adapt to seasonal changes.

3. What are the phases of growth in plants as per Chapter 13 NCERT?

According to Chapter 13 of the NCERT Class 11 Biology textbook, plant growth phases happen through three phases: meristematic, elongation, and maturation.  

4. How do plant hormones regulate growth and development?

Plant hormones, also known as phytohormones, are chemical messengers that regulate plant growth and development by influencing processes like cell division, elongation, and differentiation, as well as responses to environmental cues.

5. What is the difference between growth and development in plants?

In plants, growth is the irreversible increase in size (quantity), while development includes the qualitative changes in form and function (structure) over time.

6. How do auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinins influence plant growth?

Auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinins are plant hormones that play important roles in growth and development. Auxins promote cell elongation and root development, gibberellins stimulate stem elongation and seed germination, and cytokinins promote cell division and shoot growth.

7. What are the different types of plant movements covered in NCERT Class 11 Biology?

Plants have two types of movement :

1. Directional movement - Movement is directed towards the response to the stimulus. The stimulus can be either light, water or gravity. Such movements are called tropic movements. For example - Pototropism ( plants grow towards light and light is the stimulus or hydrotropism where plants grow towards the water and water here is the stimulus.)

2. Non-directional movement - Non-directional movement of the plant in response to an external stimulus. It is independent of growth and communicates via electrical chemical signals. For example, In touch-me-not plant whenever someone toches the leaves, the leaves get folded and here, response to touch is a stimulus. 

8. What is the difference between natural and synthetic plant growth regulators?

Natural plant growth regulators (PGRs), also known as phytohormones, are produced naturally by plants, while synthetic PGRs are man-made compounds that mimic the effects of natural hormones.

9. Why is secondary growth important in plants?

Secondary growth is important for plants, particularly woody ones, as it increases girth, providing structural support and enabling the transport of water and nutrients to support a larger number of leaves.

10. What is the role of abscisic acid in plant growth regulation?

Abscisic acid is a plant hormone. It is also called a stress hormone because it shows different responses to stress conditions. It leads to seed dormancy and ensures seed germination only when favourable conditions return. It also causes the closing of stomata when plants don’t get enough water.

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A block of mass 0.50 kg is moving with a speed of 2.00 ms-1 on a smooth surface. It strikes another mass of 1.00 kg and then they move together as a single body. The energy loss during the collision is

Option 1)

0.34\; J

Option 2)

0.16\; J

Option 3)

1.00\; J

Option 4)

0.67\; J

A person trying to lose weight by burning fat lifts a mass of 10 kg upto a height of 1 m 1000 times.  Assume that the potential energy lost each time he lowers the mass is dissipated.  How much fat will he use up considering the work done only when the weight is lifted up ?  Fat supplies 3.8×107 J of energy per kg which is converted to mechanical energy with a 20% efficiency rate.  Take g = 9.8 ms−2 :

Option 1)

2.45×10−3 kg

Option 2)

 6.45×10−3 kg

Option 3)

 9.89×10−3 kg

Option 4)

12.89×10−3 kg

 

An athlete in the olympic games covers a distance of 100 m in 10 s. His kinetic energy can be estimated to be in the range

Option 1)

2,000 \; J - 5,000\; J

Option 2)

200 \, \, J - 500 \, \, J

Option 3)

2\times 10^{5}J-3\times 10^{5}J

Option 4)

20,000 \, \, J - 50,000 \, \, J

A particle is projected at 600   to the horizontal with a kinetic energy K. The kinetic energy at the highest point

Option 1)

K/2\,

Option 2)

\; K\;

Option 3)

zero\;

Option 4)

K/4

In the reaction,

2Al_{(s)}+6HCL_{(aq)}\rightarrow 2Al^{3+}\, _{(aq)}+6Cl^{-}\, _{(aq)}+3H_{2(g)}

Option 1)

11.2\, L\, H_{2(g)}  at STP  is produced for every mole HCL_{(aq)}  consumed

Option 2)

6L\, HCl_{(aq)}  is consumed for ever 3L\, H_{2(g)}      produced

Option 3)

33.6 L\, H_{2(g)} is produced regardless of temperature and pressure for every mole Al that reacts

Option 4)

67.2\, L\, H_{2(g)} at STP is produced for every mole Al that reacts .

How many moles of magnesium phosphate, Mg_{3}(PO_{4})_{2} will contain 0.25 mole of oxygen atoms?

Option 1)

0.02

Option 2)

3.125 × 10-2

Option 3)

1.25 × 10-2

Option 4)

2.5 × 10-2

If we consider that 1/6, in place of 1/12, mass of carbon atom is taken to be the relative atomic mass unit, the mass of one mole of a substance will

Option 1)

decrease twice

Option 2)

increase two fold

Option 3)

remain unchanged

Option 4)

be a function of the molecular mass of the substance.

With increase of temperature, which of these changes?

Option 1)

Molality

Option 2)

Weight fraction of solute

Option 3)

Fraction of solute present in water

Option 4)

Mole fraction.

Number of atoms in 558.5 gram Fe (at. wt.of Fe = 55.85 g mol-1) is

Option 1)

twice that in 60 g carbon

Option 2)

6.023 × 1022

Option 3)

half that in 8 g He

Option 4)

558.5 × 6.023 × 1023

A pulley of radius 2 m is rotated about its axis by a force F = (20t - 5t2) newton (where t is measured in seconds) applied tangentially. If the moment of inertia of the pulley about its axis of rotation is 10 kg m2 , the number of rotations made by the pulley before its direction of motion if reversed, is

Option 1)

less than 3

Option 2)

more than 3 but less than 6

Option 3)

more than 6 but less than 9

Option 4)

more than 9

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