Many plant organs grow strictly upwards (for example, shoots) or downwards (for example, roots). Mushroom fruit bodies also try to keep a strictly vertical position, essential for performing their function - to distribute spores. When such organs are turned away from the vertical by some angle, they start to bend toward the vertical position. This orientation in the gravity field, maintaining a specific position, is defined as gravitropism.

Some organs grow not strictly up or down, but at a certain angle (for example, 40 degrees) from the vertical position. This phenomenon is called plagiogravitropism.

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