Question

Describe absolute and relative growth rates of plants.

Answer 1

The absolute growth rate is the measurement and the comparison of total growth per unit time, while the relative growth rate is the growth of the given system per unit time which is expressed on a common basis (per unit initial parameter).

Answer 2

The measurement and comparison of total growth per unit time is called as Absolute growth rate.

The growth of the given system per unit time expressed on a common basis is called as Relative growth rate.

For example:

Two leaves X and Y having different sizes show exact absolute increase in the area in the given time.

But, one of them has a much higher relative growth rate.

Consider, both the leaves have grown by 5 cm² in a single day

The initial size of leaf X was 5 cm², while that of leaf Y was 40 cm^2.

Though the absolute growth rates both the leaves is the same, the relative growth rate in leaf X is faster.