Photoperiodism:
Photoperiodism merely refers to the potential of the plant to incite flowering relative to the changes in the photoperiod. Thus, photoperiod is a light duration or the length of day and night, while photoperiodism is the effect of light duration on the plant’s growth. [Biology Reader]
Noted in “Even simple bacteria can anticipate the changing seasons,” James Woodford, NewScientist (14 September 2024):
Despite being among the simplest forms of life on Earth, cyanobacteria are able to anticipate and prepare for the changing seasons based on the amount of light they are exposed to.
It has been known for more than a century that complex organisms can utilise day length as a cue for future environmental conditions – days get shorter before it gets colder, for example. Phenomena like migration, flowering, hibernation and seasonal reproduction are all guided by such responses in plants and animals, known as photoperiodism, but it has never been seen in simple life forms such as bacteria until now.
