An overview of etiolation in plants

Abstract

Etiolation in plants occurs when they are grown in either incomplete or a total absence of light. The situation is characterized by long, weak stems with smaller, sparser leaves due to longer internodes, with a pale yellow or bleached white, chlorotic color—representing a lack of chlorophyll. Etioplasts are chloroplasts that have not been exposed to light. They are generally found in Angiosperms plants developed in the dark. If a plant is kept out of light for several days, its normal chloroplasts will actually convert into etioplasts. Keywords: chlorosis, etiolation in plants, etioplasts