Question

how does horizontally kept potted plant show upward bending of shoot and downward bending of root

Answer 1

This is due to geotropism.

Any reaction to the stimulus of earth’s gravity is called geotropism. The effects of gravity on plants are not like those of light and temperature because it is both continuous in action and constant in strength. Primary roots and certain other portions of the root system tend to grow directly toward the centre of gravity and hence called positively geotropic.

Stem mostly grows away from the centre of gravity and is thus negatively geotropic. However, stems in prostrate plants have lost their negative geotropism and even develop into root stock or tubers which behave exactly like roots. Most of the leaves take up their positions at right angles to the centre of gravity and are, therefore, called transversely geotropic or diageotropic. Geotropism is of three types: orthogeotropism (e.g. primary root), plageotropism (e.g., secondary roots) and diageocropism (movement of tertiary roots)