Talking Plants
No seriously! But it's not about the plants, as it is about what it is to live.
A Japanese scientist named Masatsugu Toyota recently was credited with saying/writing the following:
"We have finally unveiled the intricate story of when, where, and how plants respond to airborne 'warning messages' from their threatened neighbors."
Yes. Mr. Toyota is talking about how plants are sending warnings to nearby plants. Plants are talking to other plants.
You can check out the science here. Or in a little summary at the bottom. BUT. But please dwell on this dwell on this for a second. Plants communicate! They warn their neighbors.
What I love most about this is what it says about the living condition. Things that live, want to keep living. They want other things to keep living. They want to ensure safety for themselves and their future generations. THIS is an inherent want, a driving force. I’m sure at some point, it was thought that self-interest, or community interest was a hallmark of humanity. But it’s not.
It’s a hallmark of living.
OK. So. How do plants communicate?
Well, this network is hidden from vision and is mostly scent based. Plants have been observed to inform one another through airborne compounds, mists that repels hungry herbivores and alerts neighboring plants to imminent dangers.
This diagram shows how the compounds were spread (via a fan) from one set of wounded plants to another and how the latter responded to being bathed in volatile compounds, which the former release when wounded.
This basic concept has been theorized since the 1980s, scientists have marveled at these plant defenses, with a crucial gap unaddressed – how they receive the messages. Enter a team of Dr. Toyota and a Japanese researchers who, armed with real-time imaging techniques, unraveled this mystery.
These molecular biologists at Saitama University, devised an ingenious experiment. They transferred compounds from injured plants onto undamaged neighbors, observing the response through a fluorescence microscope. The undamaged plants, genetically altered with a biosensor, glowed green in the presence of calcium ions – a signal akin to human cell communication.
Caterpillars set upon tomato plants and mustard family weeds triggered a visual spectacle of calcium signaling in intact, insect-free plants. The researchers pinpointed specific compounds (Z-3-HAL and E-2-HAL) as the messengers and specific cells (guard, mesophyll, and epidermal) as the responders.
Their experiment revealed the plants' clear reception of their neighbors' warnings. As the undamaged plants echoed the distress calls with bursts of calcium signaling, a profound understanding unfolded. Guard cells, the 'nostrils' of the plant, led the response, followed by mesophyll cells.
A hidden dialogue, focused on protection and perseverance.
We should have given you a glossary along with our Christmas gift!