Definition

The ability of plants or other living things to grow or move in response to heat, either towards it or away from it.

Example

The sunflower exhibits thermotropism by bending towards the sun's warmth.

Conversation

Have you heard about thermotropism?

Yeah, it's how plants respond to heat, right?

Exactly! They tend to bend towards warmer areas.

That's so cool! Nature really knows how to adapt.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Thermotropism is formed from "thermo-" (from Greek "thermos", meaning heat) and "tropism" (from Greek "tropos", meaning turn or change). The word describes the growth or movement of an organism in response to heat, indicating a directional change due to temperature.

Memory Tip

Think of 'heat' ('thermo-') causing a 'turn' or 'change' ('tropism') in an organism's growth.

Visually Confused Words