Plants: Living, Breathing… and Feeling?
Scientists have found that plants can likely feel our touch, but how?
It is known that plants are among the living organisms that make up the biosphere, and their role in human evolution and in the survival of the Earth as a planet in general is no doubt important. However, it seems as if humans and animals treat plants as if they are non-living, as if they don’t truly have any understanding or awareness of the world outside their leaves.
And although I am not implying that plants have complex thoughts or have their own language with which they communicate with other plants (although that would be interesting), scientists have discovered that plants may possess some level of sensitivity that allows them to feel; specifically the ability to know when something or someone is touching them and when they are no longer being touched.
Scientists from Washington State University have recently completed a study that tested the response of plant cells to pressure differences. Specifically, the scientists applied a glass rod to plant cells and found a response to differ in the speed and amount of calcium signal waves they produced; when the fine glass rod was applied, the waves were slow, however, when the pressure was released, the plant cells sent more rapid calcium signals suggesting a difference between the two. Michael Knoblauch, a professor at Washington State University, expressed how sensitive plant cells really are and highlights an important difference in animals’ ability to do this due to their complex nervous systems.
It is known that animals, including humans, have a complex nervous system composed of many interconnected nerve networks, some of which contribute to our ability to feel and discriminate between touch to our body. However, it is important to highlight that plants do not have a nervous system and thus their ability to feel and discriminate between pressure applied to their cells is without the use of nerve cells suggesting another mechanism may be at play in facilitating these responses.
The experiments carried out by the scientists took advantage of the different makeup of plant cells compared to animal cells which may be the key to understanding the types of cells that are responsible for the ability to “feel.”
Plant cells differ from animal cells in that they have an extra layer of protective material called their cell wall, which is both strong and durable. Even a small application of pressure to these cells causes a pressure differential that the plant cell is able to detect thus likely being the mechanism by which its response changes.
Another difference the scientists discovered was that all plant cells have this capability and can discriminate between touch. In animals, specific nerve cells called sensory cells are the cells that facilitate a response to touch and therefore are not a characteristic of all animal cells.
It is truly amazing what technological advances have allowed scientists to gain insight on and learn about given the ever-increasing complexity we continue to understand about living organisms. Hopefully, after reading about this new discovery, you will think twice about the next time you are handling a plant… just know that they can feel you so be sure to treat them nicely!
Source:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230531101953.htm
About the Writer
Wynter Sutchy is a soon-to-be third-year undergraduate student at McMaster University studying Biology (Physiology) and is from King City, ON. She is very passionate about the healthcare field and enjoys sharing her volunteering experiences through writing. She plans to pursue a career in medicine in the future and plans to explore the field of healthcare through research and volunteering throughout her undergraduate career. In her free time, you can expect her to be watching her favourite show, Greys Anatomy, teaching children how to swim, or baking some delicious desserts!
