SUMMARYBarley plants were pruned selectively to give root systems with relative growth rates that varied two-fold. Rates of elongation of the seminal root axes were unaffected. Respiration rate was highest in the fast-growing roots, but there was no change in the proportion of carbon entering the root that was subsequently lost in respiration. Soluble sugar contents were greater in fast than in slow growing plants, but the rate of uptake of exogenously supplied sucrose and glutamine was highest where root growth rate was reduced by pruning of the shoot. Turnover of sugars in the vacuole was slower in roots with reduced growth rate.
Terms such as ‘self-similarity’, ‘space filling’, ‘fractal dimension’, and associated concepts have different meanings to different people depending on their background. We examine how methodology in fractal analysis is influenced by diverse definitions of fundamental concepts that lead to difficulties in understanding fundamental issues. The meaning of terms associated with fractal analysis needs to be clarified if this method is to be useful in diverse disciplines. It is our premise that communications that are result focused constitute a danger in perpetuating misconceptions of terms due to the concise nature of the writing and the reliance on references to fill in the procedural and conceptual gaps. Communicating effectively requires a sound understanding of the terminology and a clear and meaningful presentation. We address here communication and the nature of scientific discourse, ‘fractal linguistics’.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.