Exposure to prolonged cold that makes some plants competent to flower later.
Winter wheat needs cold; epigenetic silencing of FLC (flowering repressor) by cold in Arabidopsis allows flowering. The memory persists through mitosis.
Cold must be sustained for weeks. In Arabidopsis, cold silences FLC with Polycomb-mediated chromatin changes, so spring flowering is possible. The memory is reset in the next generation.
Key idea: vernalisation stops plants flowering before winter.
Exposure to prolonged cold that makes some plants competent to flower later.
Vernalisation is one of the 56 topics in Plant Biology. It is rated Advanced, so it suits learners who want specialist depth. Related topics in this area include Photoperiodism, Plant Immunity Receptors, CAM Photosynthesis.
Biennial plants like carrots flower in the second year.
Work through the Beginner topics in Plant Biology first, such as Plant Kingdom, Photosynthesis, Chlorophyll, then return to Vernalisation. Advanced topics assume the Intermediate vocabulary.
The closest topics to Vernalisation are Photoperiodism, Plant Immunity Receptors, CAM Photosynthesis, Alternation of Generations. Comparing them side by side is a good way to see how the ideas connect.
Read the summary and the in-depth section, then use the quick check on the interactive lesson for Vernalisation. To practise the whole of Plant Biology, use the Plant Biology quiz.
Vernalisation: Exposure to prolonged cold that makes some plants competent to flower later. Photoperiodism: Responses such as flowering triggered by the length of day and night, mediated by phytochrome. Read both side by side and note what each one explains.
First, read the summary and write the definition in your own words. Second, read the in-depth section and note any example. Third, compare it with Photoperiodism and explain the difference aloud. Finally, take the Plant Biology quiz and come back to this page for any question you miss.
Responses such as flowering triggered by the length of day and night, mediated by phytochrome.
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