Hydrotaxis, Hydrotropism
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Hydrotaxis and hydrotropism refer to the movement of simple and complex organisms toward water, specifically migrating from dry environments to moist ones. The article cites the experiments of the botanist Stahl on the plasmodium Aethalium septicum as a classic example of this phenomenon.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
HYDROTAXIS, HYDROTROPISM (from the Greek hydor—water, trepo—I turn, and taxis—arrangement, setting), the movement of simple and complex organisms toward water, i.e., from a dry place to a moist one. An example is the crawling of the plasmodium Aethalium septicum into damp places, as established by the experiments of the botanist Stahl.
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Cite this page
“Hydrotaxis, Hydrotropism.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/hydrotaxis-hydrotropism/