tropo-, trop-, -tropal, -trope(s), -tropic, -tropism, -tropia, -tropous, -tropy, trep-

(Greek: bend, curve, turn, a turning; response to stimulus)

Don't confuse this tropo-, -tropy element with tropho-, meaning "food, nourishment, nutrition".

acrotropic (adjective), more acrotropic, most acrotropic
A reference to or relating to the continued growth of a plant in the same direction as the original growth.
acrotropism (noun) (no pl)
The continued growth of a plant in the same direction in which it originally started: Mr. Clark, Jim's biology teacher, told the class that they should watch a plant for weeks and see if acrotropism was the method of its development and, in addition, to take photos to document their research.
aerotropic (adjective), more aerotropic, most aerotropic
Referring to the movement of an organism toward or away from a supply of air.
aerotropism (s) (noun) (no pl)
The movement of an organism toward or away from a supply of air. Aerotropism is the growth of a plant in the direction of an air supply, such as an air bubble in a bacterial culture chamber.

Aerotropsim applies to either a positive reaction, or towards air, or a negative reaction, which is away from air.

Aerotropism can also be the reaction to gases, generally to oxygen, particularly the growth curvature of roots or other parts of plants to changes in oxygen tension.

ageotropism (s) (noun), ageotropisms (pl)
1. The absence of orientation movements in response to gravity: When participating in a space flight simulator, the astronaut experienced ageotropism and so he had no sense of responding to gravity.
2. Turning away from the earth: Elena was studying plant ageotropism and so she was growing plants in a gravity-free environment.
3. A part of a plant that would be expected to grow as gravity pulls it down, but instead grows upward, such as the knee roots of cypress trees: Marcella tripped over the ageotropisms of the tree in the swamp because the roots were sticking up out of the earth.
allotrope (s) (noun), allotropes (pl)
A substance that exists and is metastable in two or more physical forms over a given temperature range: Allotropes have different chemical and physical properties; for example, graphite and diamond are allotropes of carbon.
allotropism (s) (noun), allotropisms (pl)
The existence of certain elements, in various forms differing in physical properties; such as, carbon black, graphite, and diamond are all pure carbon.
allotropy (s) (noun), allotropies (pl)
The existence of a solid substance in different physical forms: Tin has metallic and non-metallic crystalline forms while carbon has two crystalline allotropies: diamond and graphite.
amphitropous (adjective), more amphitropous, most amphitropous
A description of an ovule or a seed: Amphitropous seeds are half inverted and straight, with the hilum lateral (scar or point of attachment of the seed); an ovule that is curved back along its funiculus (free stalk of an ovule or seed) so that the base and micropyle (minute opening on the ovule through which the pollen tube usually enters) are close together.
anatropous (adjective), more anatropous, most anatropous
Relating to a flower ovule with an inverted structure where the stalk attachment is near the top and the opening is near the bottom of the stem.
anisotropic (adjective), more anisotropic, most anisotropic
1. A reference to having unequal responses to external stimuli: After Jody's stroke, she exhibited an anisotropic response to physical stimuli on her left side.
2. Conveying properties that vary depending on the various directions of measurements: A crystal has an anisotropic structure because it is stronger along its length than it is from side to side.
3. Descriptive of having properties that are the same in all directions: When measuring the transmission of light through the colored glass, Drew, as a scientist, noted a distinct anisotropic pattern because the properties differed depending on the direction in which he turned the glass.
4.Referring to showing different properties as to velocity of light transmission, conductivity of heat or electricity, compressibility, and so on, in different directions: The early scholars of astronomy noted the anisotropic and varying properties of light, heat, etc. of the stars which they could see.
anisotropy (s) (noun), anisotropies (pl)
1. The departure of cosmic microwave radiation from equal intensity in all direcions.
2. The property of a plant that assumes a certain position in response to an external stimulus.
3. A situation when there are unequal responses to external stimuli.
apogeotropic (adjective), more apogeotropic, most apogeotropic
Characterized by the response by an organism by turning away from the earth: Apogeotropic plant stems and leaves grow upward from the soil where they exist.
apogeotropically (adverb), more apogeotropically, most apogeotropically
Descriptive of vegetation that grows upward away from soil; such as, plant stems and tree trunks.
apogeotropism (s) (noun), apogeotropisms (pl)
The growth or orientation of certain plants to flourish up away from the earth in which they grow: The condition of apogeotropism can be seen by the trunks of trees and their leaves that develop towards the sky.

Inter-related cross references involving word units meaning "bend, curve, turn": diversi-; diverticul-; flect-, flex-; gyro-; meand-; -plex; streph-; stroph-; tors-; verg-; vers-; volv-.