A review: Morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular plant responses to water deficit stress

In the conditions of changing climate, plants are continuously subject to several biotic and abiotic stresses. Among these stresses, drought is one of the most severe abiotic stress which threats crops production and yield. Crops demonstrate various morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular responses under water stress. This review describes some aspects of drought induced changes in morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular changes in plants. Drought triggers a wide variety of plant responses, ranging from cellular metabolism to changes in growth development including roots, shoots and final yield. Moreover, understanding the biochemical and molecular responses to drought is essential for perception of plant resistance mechanisms to water-limited conditions. The sections of this review deal with plant responses including root growth, transpiration, photosynthesis, phenotypical flexibility, accumulation of solutes and expression of some genes and proteins for improving the tolerance to the drought stress.