Cells die when they disintegrate, animals die when their heart stop beating, but how about plants? Is there a specific moment where you can be able to say that a plant *just* died? How is it defined?
Like you can surely look at a plant and say “yep, it’s dead”, or “it’s dying”, but what’s in between the two?
In: Biology
If it’s dying, there’s still a chance to revive it with TLC. The overall structure of the plant still looks like a plant albeit browning or wilting.
If it’s dead, the leaves, branches, roots, etc. have broken down/disintegrated to the point of no return i.e. bits and pieces are broken off. That’s how we could tell it’s dead.
When cellular reproduction in a plant is outpaced by cell death, like in humans, death starts to begin. It’s a slow process, but as more cells die, less energy is produced and less cells are born. One this reaches a noticeable level, browning, or oxidation, begins. When it can no longer produce enough energy to carry out basic functions we tend to call it dead, even if there is still some cell life.
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