Tomato Seedling Roots (IMAGE) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Caption Plants depend on sunlight for photosynthesis. When they find themselves in too much shade, they will redirect their resources from root development towards stem growth, so they can grow taller and access the sun. In this image, the three plants on the left were grown in full unshaded light: they have lots of branched roots. In contrast, the three plants on the right were grown in the shade: they have less branched roots because the plant is focusing on growing a longer stem to try and reach more light. Credit Daniele Rosado/Pedmale lab/CSHL, 2021 Usage Restrictions Attribution required License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.