noun
- The movement of an organism in response to light, either toward (positive phototaxis) or away from (negative phototaxis) the light source.
Usage: biology; used in scientific and educational contexts
Examples
- Many insects exhibit positive phototaxis, flying toward artificial lights at night.
- The larvae showed negative phototaxis, burrowing deeper into the soil to avoid sunlight.
- Phototaxis is a common behavior in single-celled organisms like algae and bacteria.
- Scientists study phototaxis to understand how organisms sense and respond to their environment.
- The moth's strong positive phototaxis explains why it is attracted to the flame.