Plants can sense touch and pressure without nerves, In light of the recent report by a study by Washington State University. The research found that individual plant cells responded to the touch of a glass rod by sending slow waves of calcium signals to other plant cells, and when pressure was released they sent much more rapid waves. The study showed that plant cells send different signals when touch is initiated and ended. The researchers conducted 84 experiments on 12 plants using thale cress and tobacco plants that had been specially bred to include calcium sensors. The authors believe these waves are likely due to the change in pressure inside the cell.
In light of the recent report by a recent study conducted by Washington State University, plants can sense touch without nerves. The study found that individual plant cells respond to touch by sending slow waves of calcium signals to other plant cells. When the pressure is released, the plant cells send much more rapid waves. This study shows that plant cells send different signals when touch is initiated and ended.
Scientists have known for a long time that plants can respond to touch, but this study sheds light on the mechanism behind this response. The researchers conducted a set of 84 experiments on 12 plants using thale cress and tobacco plants that had been specially bred to include calcium sensors. They placed pieces of these plants under a microscope and applied a slight touch to individual plant cells using a micro-cantilever, essentially a tiny glass rod about the size of a human hair.
The researchers observed many complex responses depending on the force and duration of the touch, but the difference between the touch and its removal was clear. Within 30 seconds of the applied touch to a cell, the researchers saw slow waves of calcium ions, called cytosolic calcium, travelling from that cell through the adjacent plant cells, lasting about three to five minutes. Removal of the touch showed an almost instant set of more rapid waves that dissipated within a minute.
“It is quite surprising how finely sensitive plants cells are–that they can discriminate when something is touching them. They sense the pressure, and when it is released, they sense the drop in pressure,” said Michael Knoblauch, WSU biological sciences professor and senior author of the study in the journal Nature Plants. “It’s surprising that plants can do this in a very different way than animals, without nerve cells and at a really fine level.”
The authors believe that these waves are likely due to the change in pressure inside the cell. Unlike animal cells with permeable membranes, plant cells also have strong cellular walls that can withstand a lot of pressure. This allows them to sense touch and respond accordingly.
This discovery could have significant implications for agriculture and horticulture. By understanding how plants respond to touch, researchers could develop new ways to improve plant growth and yield. For example, they could develop new techniques to stimulate plant growth or improve resistance to pests and disease.
To finalize everything, this study shows that plants can sense touch without nerves. Plant cells send different signals when touch is initiated and ended, and this response is likely due to the change in pressure inside the cell. This discovery could have significant implications for agriculture and horticulture, and further research could lead to new ways to improve plant growth and yield.
