A ground-breaking new study has found that plants can feel when they are being eaten, responding at times with defense mechanisms. The study, titled, “Plants respond to leaf vibrations caused by insect herbivore chewing”, was conducted by the Division of Biological Sciences at The University of Missouri.
The study examined thale cress (Arabidopsis), a vegetable that is related to broccoli, mustard greens, and kele. Scientists often use this plant for studies as it was the first plant to have it’s genome fully mapped.
In order to conduct the study scientists took audio recordings of the sound that caterpillars make when they eat. The hypothesis was that plants would hear or feel the vibration and in turn engage in some sort of unique observable behavior.
The researchers controlled the experiment by playing other vibratiions to the plants that simulated natural sounds like wind noise.
The results found that when the thale cress experienced the “munching vibrations” of the caterpillar, the plant sent extra mustard green, a mild toxic that dispels caterpillars, throughout it’s leaves.
According to the scientists involved, “our work is the first example of how plants respond to an ecologically relevant vibration. We found that feeding vibrations signal changes in the plant cells’ metabolism, creating more defensive chemicals that can repel attacks from caterpillars.”
Watch the video to see for yourself:
More from the Homestead Guru:
- New Study: Women Sleep Better With A Dog in the Bed(Opens in a new browser tab)
- Ireland Promises to Plant Half Billion Trees by 2040(Opens in a new browser tab)
- Research Grant Given to Determine if Dandelion Root Kills Cancer(Opens in a new browser tab)
- New Study: Kids Drinking Whole Milk Are Thinner Than Those Who Drink Skim(Opens in a new browser tab)
- How I Cured My Cystic Acne by Eating Only Meat on the Carnivore Diet(Opens in a new browser tab)
- Ethiopia May Have Broken World Record Planting 350 Million Trees in 12 Hours(Opens in a new browser tab)
.I watched this video and I noticed that these scientists really are just scaring the plant aand tricking it rather than teaching or helping. Every plant knows when something is going to be there to take a bite out of it. These scientists might as well go ahead and go right on up the food chain and believe they are helping them with their predators too. In reality,studies have demonstrated that anytime plant life is being monitored, they “screamed” sending the wave chart into a frenzy right before someone were to either cut it, burn it, or eat it. They… Read more »
If we’re not supposed to eat plants, algae, grain, bugs or animals for humanitarian reasons, what are we supposed to eat? Just milk products?
nope, cause milk is for baby cows not for us humans
If we don’t eat plants, grains, algae, bugs, or animals, what are we supposed to eat to survive? Milk-based products?
Very interesting! I am curious about the research that led them to come up with that hypothesis, too. I will have to go check that out! Thanks for posting.
I don’t think anyone is saying we are not supposed to eat plants, I didn’t feel that was the suggestion in this article, but it does pose an all important question, what are plants doing to adapt and survive, and perhaps ones that are successful in turning on toxins, we ought to research and not eat! Not everything found on our planet is actually worth eating or at the very least, moderate the amounts we consume. It’s an interesting hypothesis though, I would like to know specifically how the plants deciphers between wind and munching though! What about insects walking… Read more »
Someone missed the “Primary Perception” episode of Mythbusters, where this was BUSTED.
I can already picture meat eaters using this article as an excuse not to give up their eating habits. lol These findings don’t surprise me, as it is only natural for anything in nature to have its own self-defense mechanism. Worth noting that most edible plants wouldn’t exist if no one was around to eat them, as there would be massive rotting.
Well, the meat eaters will have their “tortured” plants that the animals ate lol
I think …I dont know but i think…that Once we learned the real being we are and passed away .. than will know that we didn’t need to eat to to live. …
up yours scum bag trying to get them to stop eating them or just a stupid post look last name f uuuuuuu
????? What are you talking about?
[…] More from the Homestead Guru: Study Claims Plants Can Feel When They Are Being Eaten and They Don’t Like It! […]