Tendril perversion

Ok kiddo, imagine a small plant growing. It has long, curly branches that reach out to grab onto things like a rope. These curly branches are called tendrils. They help the plant climb up higher and get more sunlight.

But sometimes, something funny happens. The tendrils start growing in weird ways. Instead of curling around things like they're supposed to, they grow straight and stick out in strange directions. This is called tendril perversion.

It's like when you try to tie a knot in a shoelace, but it just won't work and the lace sticks out in a weird way. It's not supposed to do that, just like the tendrils on the plant aren't supposed to grow in those strange directions.

Scientists study tendril perversion to learn more about how plants grow and change over time. They want to know why it happens and what makes some plants more likely to experience it than others. It's a mystery that they're still trying to solve, but it's a fascinating one to explore!