Why are bananas curved?
Why are bananas curved? Did you know that bananas are curved thanks to the Sun? It’s that simple. Bananas that initially grow downwards suddenly undergo a curious process: they turn upwards in search of the sun. And did you know that they do it to survive ?
A curious phenomenon of survival
One of the curiosities of bananas that you did not know.
The banana, once a certain development has been reached, undergoes a natural process called ‘negative geotropism’. Basically this means that instead of continually growing towards the ground, the banana turns towards the sun to get light. Just as sunflowers seek the sun, so do bananas.
What would happen if bananas grew sideways, in a straight line? The plant would lose its balance and would not support the weight of the fruit. The sun is essential for the growth of the fruit. Don’t you find it curious?
The process
Bananas are born from a flower in the direction of the ground. As they develop, they continue toward the ground. At some point they experience negative geotropism, which means that they seek the sun upwards, which forces them to turn in the opposite direction, forming a curve.
The curved shape of the banana allows it to survive. In addition, the plant has stability. Clever, right?
What do you think?
