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There is a plethora of literature and research studies on the effects of tobacco on the human body and other animals.

I am interested in knowing whether the rate of mitosis in plants is affected by the smoke produced by burning tobacco (e.g. a vegetable under study would be put in a chamber filled with tobacco smoke).

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  • $\begingroup$ Just a word of caution: there is no such thing as "mitosis speed" without careful consideration of meaning. Plants are composed of a lot of differentiated cell types. Some in the soil, others above ground, some internal, others external, some compose growth cones at the shoot/root tips, others simply structural and inert. Some cells are old, young, in sexually or asexually reproducing specimens, some cells would exhibit readily easier exposure to a 'general smoke' experiment than others. Both biotic and abiotic factors are known to affect cell division, but the particularities matter. $\endgroup$
    – S Pr
    Jun 19 at 13:55
  • $\begingroup$ You can ingest tobacco as inhaled smoke and observe heightened co-incidence of lung cancer, but that doesn't mean that all cells may experience "faster mitosis" or shorter cell cycles as a result of tumor growth (uncontrolled cell proliferation). Nor for that matter "slower mitosis" or longer cell cycles (as a result of toxicity, hypoxia or indirect effects). Also, beware of false attribution fallacies: smoke (particulate matter in the air, like soot) is NOT carbon monoxide, but we consider it part and parcel of smoking, which isn't smoke per se. Remember to think about Qs carefully! $\endgroup$
    – S Pr
    Jun 19 at 14:07

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