What happens when you manipulate plant growth by growing plants in the dark?

Answer 1

Plants do grow in the "dark."

There are 2 phases to photosynthesis: a light phase and a dark phase. The dark phase does not necessarily mean it happens in the dark but it CAN occur during the dark. It is the metabolism of the compounds made during the light phase, the phase requiring sunlight, of photosynthesis.

Plants held in the dark too long build up cell compounds from the normal cellular pathways and create a situation called "inhibition" in which the accumulation of the cellular metabolics, the by-product, build until it causes the cell to stop normal functioning and either dies or must alter the chemistry in a manner to move those by-products out of the cell.

Answer 2

When plants are grown in the dark, they undergo etiolation, a process where they elongate and become pale due to the absence of light for photosynthesis. This is because plants rely on light to produce energy through photosynthesis, and in the absence of light, the plants grow taller quickly in search of light. However, they will have weak stems and lack chlorophyll, making them incapable of producing their own food efficiently.