PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

The dynamics of root growth is traced back to the growth kinetics of single cells using the concept of the relative elemental rate of elongation (RELEL). In a first step, a formalism for the description of one-dimensional expansion in general is derived with special emphasis on the sigmoid curves which are characteristic for the elongation of single cells. Then, in a second step, a model for the growth of the root as a whole is developed that is based on the kinetics of single cells and covers both cell division and elongation by means of a partial differential equation together with an injection function. The special case of a constant cell division rate is discussed in detail. Explicit examples yield RELEL-profiles that closely resemble those evaluated from experimental data.