So I know that “decide” isn’t really the right word, but plants very clearly respond to their environment in a way that is dynamic. They can determine which side of the tree is getting more sun, and put more leaves there. they can determine where there tends to be more water in the soil, and grow more roots in that direction.
Since they don’t have what we would call a nervous system, how is this information processed? There seems to be clear research into the electrical signals moving through the Phloem, but where do these get “processed” in a way that the organism as a whole can make “decisions”?
In: Biology
Plant cells have sensors! For example, they can sense up-and-down by growing a tiny, dense lump of minerals inside the cell. Because it’s denser than the rest of the cell, the lump will sink in the cell’s liquid — pulled in the direction of gravity. Then the cell can do different things on the side with the lump than the side without it. When coordinated with the other cells around it, this lets the plant grow in different ways depending on gravity.
Not coincidentally, the earth, water, and nutrients are usually in the direction of gravity; while air and sun are usually in the direction away from gravity. So a new sprout will grow roots in the direction of gravity, and shoots and leaves in the opposite direction.
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