Plants also suffer. How many times have vegetarians and vegans heard this? Well, the claim may not be that far from the truth. New research shows that plants know when they are about to be eaten. And they don't like it at all.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Plants also suffer. How many times Did vegetarians and vegans hear this? Well, the claim may not be that far from the truth. New research shows that plants they know when they are about to be eaten. And they don't like it at all.
That plants possess a particular form of intelligence is not a new thing: we know that they respond to wind, touch and even music. But second Modern Farmer, a new study of the University of Missouri reveals that they are also able to detect when they are eaten and send defense mechanisms to try to prevent this from happening. Practically they respond to the sounds that caterpillars make when they eat them.
The study was carried out on Arabidopsis thaliana, related to broccoli, cabbage and other siblings of the genus of the Brassicacea family. It is commonly used in scientific experiments because it was the first plant to have the genome fully sequenced and scientists are intimately familiar with how it works.
"Previous research has revealed that plants respond to acoustic energy, including music," said Heidi Appel, scientist at the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and the Bond Life Sciences Center at MU. However, our work is the prime example of how plants respond to an ecologically relevant vibration. We have found that the vibrations of feeding cause changes in the metabolism of plant cells, creating more defensive chemicals that can repel attacks from caterpillars. "
The result? The plant produces mildly toxic mustard oil when eaten and sends it along its leaves to try to keep predators away. When the plants they “felt” “the vibrations of the caterpillars who ate, they sent more oil. In the presence of other vibrations, however, they did not react at all. This also means, however, that when they are eaten by humans they do not feel the same sensation at all. Or at least, it is supposed.
Roberta Ragni
Photo Credit: Roger Meissen
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