Final answer:
To demonstrate thigmotropic behavior, a lab teacher should gently touch the plant to simulate wind or physical contact, as thigmotropism specifically involves a plant's response to touch.
Step-by-step explanation:
A lab teacher looking to demonstrate thigmotropic behavior of a plant can best achieve this by simulating wind or touch stimuli. This can be done by option c) Simulating wind by gently touching the plant. Experiments involving exposure to blue light, applying hormone sprays, or altering temperature may demonstrate other plant responses such as phototropism or thermotropism, but they do not address thigmotropism, which specifically involves a plant's growth or movement response to touch or physical contact. An example of thigmotropic behavior is a pea plant's tendrils coiling around a support structure.The best choice to demonstrate thigmotropic behavior of a plant would be option c) Simulating wind by gently touching the plant.
This is because thigmotropism is the response of a plant to touch or wind, and gently touching the plant would simulate the wind stimulus. Thigmotropic behavior can be seen in plants like the pea plant winding around a trellis or a tree growing on an angle in response to strong winds. By touching the plant, the lab teacher can observe how the plant responds to the stimulus.Exposing the plant to blue light (a) would demonstrate phototropic behavior, applying a hormone spray to the leaves (b) would not specifically demonstrate thigmotropic behavior, and altering the temperature in the environment (d) would not directly trigger thigmotropic responses.