Nanoparticle-Induced Morphological Responses of Roots and Shoots of Plants

The morphology of roots and shoots is extremely important for growth and development of all plants and each factor that changes their morphology has positive/negative effects on plants. In this chapter, the effects of some important nanoparticles on the morphology of roots and shoots of plants are investigated. Studies showed that nanoparticles at various concentrations have diverse effects on early growth of shoots as well as roots and also on seed germination. Some nanoparticles at low amounts induce root and shoot elongations, while their higher concentrations are poisonous for plants and inhibit their growth. However, these conditions are not true for all types of nanoparticles because some nanoparticles at higher concentrations increase the growth and development of roots and shoots. In general, the effect of nanoparticles on plant morphology and also on seed germination depends on different factors such as chemical formula, size, reactivity, and effective dosages.