# A new scenario for gravity detection in plants: the position sensor hypothesis

## TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel 'position sensor hypothesis' for gravity detection in plants, suggesting that plants sense inclination rather than gravity force, challenging existing models and offering new insights into plant growth mechanisms.

## Contribution

It introduces a new hypothesis that plants detect inclination through a position sensor, providing a fresh perspective on gravity sensing mechanisms in plants.

## Key findings

- Response to inclination is independent of gravity intensity
- Plants likely detect inclination rather than gravity force
- The hypothesis challenges existing gravity detection models

## Abstract

The detection of gravity plays a fundamental role during the growth and evolution of plants. Although progress has been made in our understanding of the molecular, cellular and physical mechanisms involved in the gravity detection, a coherent scenario consistent with all the observations is still lacking. In this perspective paper we discuss recent experiments showing that the response to inclination of shoots is independent of the gravity intensity, meaning that the gravity sensor detects an inclination and not a force. This result questions some of the commonly accepted hypotheses and leads to propose a new "position sensor hypothesis". The implications of this new scenario are discussed in the light of different observations available in the literature.