phototropic
- adjective
- /ˌfoʊtəˈtrɒpɪk/
- Specialized
:
fototrópico
- And so I hate it when they get trivialized, and almost as much I hate it when they lionize sort of phototropic heroes like Bono.
Examples
-
Sunflowers are phototropic, turning their flowers to follow the sun throughout the day.
-
Like most biological organisms, humans are phototropic: they grow toward the light.
Academic text (1992) -
At the same time that those doing American studies abroad are seeking "to touch the trends," often by looking "toward the center rather than sideways, like phototropic organisms orienting themselves toward one source of light," there is a growing interest in the United States in doing American studies comparatively.
Academic text (1996) -
Many plants are phototropic, meaning they grow toward sources of light to maximize photosynthesis.
-
Certain species of algae are phototropic, moving toward the light to enhance their growth.
Synonyms
Turning or growing toward the sun
Compounds
- Specialized
Bacteria that use sunlight to make food from carbon dioxide or organic matter
How Phototropic
- Specialized
- Specialized
1
8.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
phototropic = tropic (semi-transparent) = photo + trop + ic
The immediate base is built by adding the clear prefix 'photo-' to a technical base meaning 'turning', but the scientific sense is not fully obvious to average learners.
Etymology
The word phototropic comes from the parts photo- 'light', as in photograph, and -tropic 'turn'. So it means 'turning toward light', which is why many plants bend toward the sun.