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Phototropism is a plant's directional growth in response to light. This response is primarily mediated by a plant hormone called auxin. Auxin is produced in the tip of the plant's shoot and moves downward. When light shines from one direction, auxin accumulates on the shaded side of the stem, causing those cells to elongate more than the cells on the illuminated side. This differential growth results in the stem bending towards the light source, which is beneficial for photosynthesis. This phenomenon is a type of tropism, which is a plant's oriented response to a stimulus.123

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