Abstract

OBSERVATIONS AND STUDIES ON THE INTELLIGENCE OF PLANTS

Jayarama Reddy*

Abstract

Intelligence is the ability to solve problems and plants are amazingly good in solving their problems. Each choice a plant makes is based on a type of mathematical calculation. The bottom of the plant may be the most sophisticated of all though. Plants are complex communicators and communicate in a wide variety of ways. They use chemical volatiles, electrical signals and even vibrations. The strength of this evolutionary choice is that it allows a plant to survive even after losing ninety percent or more of its biomass. Plants are built of a huge number of basic modules that interact as nodes of a network. Plants have evolved an incredible variety of toxic compounds to ward off predators. When attacked by an insect, many plants release a specific chemical compound. If plants can do all these then they must be intelligent. Recent advances in plant molecular biology, cellular biology, electrophysiology and ecology, unmask plants as sensory and communicative organisms, characterized by active, problem solving behavior. Unfortunately scientists have not yet discovered any brain or neuronal network in plants. It is said that the reactions within signaling pathways may provide a biochemical basis for learning and memory in addition to computation and problem solving. One of most enigmatic and astounding characters of plants, especially trees is the ascent of sap or upward movement of water through stem, which is up to 300 ft in height. The water moves up to this height from the roots which are spread very deep in the soil. Amazingly, it largely occurs by a passive process called transpiration pull. We have made so much advancement in science and technology but we are unfortunately cannot emulate this feet of plants. This paper is a compilation of observations, experiments and studies made to understand the amazing and unresolved aspects of intelligence in plants.

Keywords: plants' intelligence, evolution, molecular biology, and electro-physiology.