Taxis

Taxis is a behavioral response of a biological organism to a stimulus. It is a movement or orientation towards or away from a stimulus such as light, heat, or gravity. The movement can be either towards the stimulus (positive taxis) or away from the stimulus (negative taxis). The term is derived from the Greek word "taxis" which means arrangement or order.

Types of Taxis

There are several types of taxis, each named according to the stimulus that provokes the response. Some of the most common types include:

• Phototaxis: This is a movement that occurs in response to light. Organisms that move towards light exhibit positive phototaxis, while those that move away from light exhibit negative phototaxis. Examples of organisms that exhibit phototaxis include moths (positive phototaxis) and cockroaches (negative phototaxis).

• Chemotaxis: This is a movement that occurs in response to chemicals. Organisms that move towards chemicals exhibit positive chemotaxis, while those that move away from chemicals exhibit negative chemotaxis. Examples of organisms that exhibit chemotaxis include bacteria and white blood cells.

• Geotaxis: This is a movement that occurs in response to gravity. Organisms that move towards the earth exhibit positive geotaxis, while those that move away from the earth exhibit negative geotaxis. Examples of organisms that exhibit geotaxis include roots of plants (positive geotaxis) and shoots of plants (negative geotaxis).

• Thermotaxis: This is a movement that occurs in response to temperature. Organisms that move towards heat exhibit positive thermotaxis, while those that move away from heat exhibit negative thermotaxis. Examples of organisms that exhibit thermotaxis include certain species of fish and insects.

See Also

• Kinesis (biology)
• Tropism

References

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