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
I would say it’s less of a decision and more of a response. Like if sun is shining on one side and not the other, the side with the sun shining will enact a response at a cellular level while the other side wouldn’t.
I also think that there can be an evolution aspect to it. Like the plants that don’t respond in a proper way will die and this leave all the ones that are having an appropriate response. Eventually, the traits that help the plant survive more (such as maybe having leaves grow in a certain way or as a reaction to certain conditions), will be passed down, while the other ones won’t be.
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