Author: Neil Thompson

Plants have always been portrayed as inanimate being for us. Plants are thought not to have feelings or intelligence to function or feel as they do not have brains, which generate all sorts of intelligence and emotions or reflexes. 

But if that is the case, how do plants survive independently even in the most challenging situations? 

While ancient studies tell us that a living being requires a well-formed brain to possess feelings or intelligence, recent studies say otherwise. 

So, are plants sentient? There is still an ongoing debate on that, but plants show the signs of being sentient in many different ways. Let’s learn more about it. 

What Does It Mean for a Plant To be Sentient?

For a plant, being sentient means to be capable of having feelings or a level of awareness of the surroundings and to have some cognitive abilities as well. Since ancient times, we have had this misconception regarding the ability to have feelings with the ability to respond. 

It is not necessary to respond; you can also react to show how you feel. This is what exactly the plants do. They react to their surroundings, but they don’t respond actively to them.

Another way of being sentient is having a certain level of intelligence. The research used to claim that plants do not have the intelligence which is required to be proven as sentient. 

But if such is true, plants would not have been able to sustain themselves. Plants make their own food with the help of photosynthesis and its organelles; they control the atmosphere accordingly and also store food for future needs. It not only keeps surviving itself but also helps us survive.

Evidence That Plants Are Sentient

There is plenty of evidence that proves plants are sentient as well. Sometimes they are considered even more sentient than a few animals. Following are the characteristics or nature of plants which make them sentient.

Maintaining Order of Response

One of the characteristics of being sentient is being able to prioritize the order in which one should respond. In recent studies, it has been figured out that plants do maintain the order of response, and that too with prioritization. 

Despite the fact that plants do not now possess a mental state to prioritize their needs, they still employ coordinated physiological activity groups to respond to specific environmental conditions. 

In this whole process, phloem plays the main role of working as a channel for the plants to establish electrical communication. 

Activities Like A Nervous System

Plants were initially the subject of not being sentient because they lack in having a nervous system, which is the main thing that makes an animal sentient. 

It was established that without a brain or a nervous system, a living being cannot be sentient. But recent studies have shown that plants do project features like the neurons of a nervous system present in animals.

Plants project a lot of action potentials and electrical transmissions, which are quite similar to the neurons present in the animal nervous system. Here phloem acts as a phytoneurone that can transmit impulses, and reflexes are noticed in plants.

Visible Action Potentials

If you ever observe a plant, you would always notice that the leaves are always directed in the direction of sunlight. 

As they make their food through the process of photosynthesis from sunlight, it needs to position themselves towards the sun. This is a similar kind of action potential of the leaf blades of a plant, acting like a motor nerve found in animals.

Another interesting action potential shown by the plants is aiding or protecting themselves from different insects. 

When insects harm the plants, just like our motor nerves, the glutamate receptors of the plants transmit it to different parts of the plants, and they aid themselves in different ways like increasing the circulation of salicylate or emitting ethylene.

Does it Affect our Relation with the Plants?

It does not affect the relationship of plants with us. Rather, it would be a good way to start prioritizing their immense importance in our lives. 

It is yet to be confirmed if plants react or respond actively to our behavior towards them or not, but they definitely react to our presence. 

So we should be aware of acknowledging their conscience more than we do now.

One thing for sure is that they are not inanimate, and we are dependent on them for our survival. So, we should increase our care, affection, and gratitude towards them as we do to other animals or pets we have around us. The notion of ‘Plant Blindness’ should be removed from society. 

Final Words

Even if not sentient, plants do help us a lot. Ignoring their presence and not taking measures to take care of them would not only affect their lives but ours as well. 

Animals and plants are inter-connected and interdependent. The more we give to the plants, the more we will receive. 

Although it is yet to be firmly established whether plants are sentient or not, the ignorance shown towards the plants should be taken care of.

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What image does a tree or plant conjure up in your head when you visualize it in your mind? Typically, we depict a tall stem with numerous large and small branches, all of which are covered in leaves. But do all the plants have branches?

No, many plants do not have branches, and throughout their lifetime, they survive like this. 

Although branches are supposed to support the structure of a plant also its stems, there are many kinds of plants which are either dependent entirely on their stem or are monocytes with no wooden structure in them.

Plants That Have No Branches

Palm Tree

Palm trees are monoecious and are straight, unbranched, and have large green leaves, which are arranged in a spiral form at the top of their trunk. Unlike most plants, palm trees survive through the protection of their big spiny leaves. It does not bother them, for having no branches. 

Although their leaves are not as strong as well-formed branches, it forms palm canopies which protect the plant and cause less damage to the plant. 

It also has this rare quality to fold up its leaves to protect the plant from external damage from heavy storms or Hurricanes. With its sturdy leaves, it can easily protect itself from strong winds by folding up.

Banana Tree

Banana trees are monocots, which means it has neither a strong wooden stem nor branches, and it dies after producing their fruits once. 

It does not have a wooden stem; rather, it has hemicellulose stems giving the plant a structure to stand on. This hemicellulose inside the stem of the banana trees helps it complete its life cycle without a wooden stem. 

Banana trees have several layers of leaves, and just like grass, it has no hard stem or core inside them. It intakes a high amount of potassium, with 75% of it composed of water which helps the plant to survive in adverse weather as well.

Bamboo

Bamboo is another example of plants not having branches. Although bamboo cannot be considered a tree as it has no bark or any other part to separate it from the main body. 

It is known or classified as a modified grass which grows leaves from its stem. The stem of bamboo is really sturdy and often used as a sustainable resource to build infrastructures. 

Bamboo is a colony plant that has special requirements for soil to grow and would grow slowly and gradually into enormous plants reaching heights.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a perennial herb that has cylindrical rhizomes and two-rowed leaves which are altered from its stem. It has branch-like structures coming out of its body, but they are too tender to be classified as branches. 

Turmeric is technically not a plant, but they do have characteristics of a plant as it can be classified into the stem, branches, and leaf sheaths. 

Turmeric is widely used as spices in South Asian countries like India, Nepal, China, etc. They are also hugely beneficial for medical uses worldwide. 

Having no sturdy structures, its roots are what keep it protected from any damage or at least prevent it to some degree.

Asparagus

Aspagaruses are kind of similar in nature to turmeric trees when it comes to their structure. It has no wooden stem, and it only stands on its main body, which is its stems. 

The stems grow some pseudo branches which cannot be called well-formed branches due to their tenderness. It also has leaves, which are in nature reduced branches. Asparagus is widely used in cooking worldwide. 

Final Word

Branches are not always a must for a plant to survive in its habitat or form support for its stem. Every plant, with or without branches, has some unique qualities to survive adversities.

It’s a common misconception that seeds are the first stage of reproduction and birth of a new plant, and that couldn’t be further from the fact. While seeds are an important component of reproduction, what matters more is what’s inside them. 

Seeds can be considered containers. Whereas the real foundation of the birth of a new plant is the embryo. In this article, we’ll discuss what a plant embryo is, its importance, and much more! So, let’s get right into it. 

What Is Plant Embryo

The plant embryo is essentially the roots, leaves, and stem of the plant in its earliest possible form. A plant’s embryo is mainly contained within the seed of the plant. However, this isn’t necessarily true for all plants, as some may reproduce without a seed. 

Importance Of Plant Embryos

The embryo activates and triggers the seed to germinate when certain conditions are met. Slowly, the seed turns into a seedling and then a plant. 

To sum it up, the plant embryo acts like a “Starter Kit”. The embryo is capable of detecting external stimuli. When it detects the presence of adequate oxygen, water, and specific minerals, it triggers germination. This is when the seed starts absorbing the endosperm. 

Without the embryo, the seed would’ve been an empty shell incapable of growing into a new plant. This is why it’s considered more important than the seed in the case of plant reproduction. 

The Process of Plant Embryo Development

The procedure of plant embryo development is called embryogenesis in short. Embryogenesis is triggered in the ovule of a plant from either single or double fertilization. 

Beginning of Embryogenesis

This process leads to the creation of two different components, the endosperm and the zygote. The endosperm later develops into the seed under suitable circumstances. 

Whereas the zygote goes through a cell division process that results in two different cells, the basal and the apical cells. These two cells are responsible for creating the polarity in the ovule. 

Of the two, the apical cell contains most of the cytoplasm and is located at the top. Through further cell division, this cell gives birth to the cotyledons, hypocotyl, and apical meristem. 

On the other hand, the basal cell, which is located at the bottom, divides and creates the hypophysis and suspensor. The basal cell contains a large vacuole and usually is larger than the apical cell. 

Globular Stage

After this, the embryo goes through the eight-cell and sixteen-cell division stages. In the third stage of growth, the embryo takes a spherical shape. This is why this is known as the globular stage. 

The globular stage is one of the most important ones as the meristematic tissue is developed in this phase. The growth of two other important components, the procambium and ground meristem, is initiated in this stage. 

Heart Stage

Next, it goes through the heart stage, which is more of a transition form. The cotyledons are formed, and they elongate throughout this stage. It’s called the Heart stage because most plants contain two cotyledons at this stage, and they give a heart-like appearance. 

Proembryo Stage

In this stage, the cotyledons and the axis continue to elongate further. One of the key changes in this stage is the shortening of the suspensor complex through the termination of some of its parts. 

The main reason behind this shortening is making adequate space for the embryo to mature. Throughout this phase, the suspensor shortens and disappears eventually while the embryo matures. 

Maturation

The maturation falls under the postembryonic development stage, as the embryo is more or less mature by this. In this phase, the embryo stores essentials such as starches, oils, and proteins. 

These essential supply energy during germination and growth of the seed. Furthermore, the seed hardens in this stage, which makes it suitable for survival. 

Dormancy

The last stage of embryogenesis is called dormancy, and this is where the embryo stops growing. What makes this phase stick out is that even if the seed is kept under perfect conditions, it won’t germinate. 

To force the seed to germinate or to break the dormancy, some special actions must be taken. For example, if the seed is too thick, the external coating of the seed must be stripped off through a process known as scarification. 

In other cases, the seed is exposed to smoke or cold for breaking the dormancy. Either way, breaking the dormancy is one of the crucial factors for germination. 

How Does the Environment Affect Plant Embryo Development?

The environment has a huge effect on plant embryo development, especially in the dormancy phase. Multiple environmental factors can affect a seed’s germination. 

These are mainly drought, cold, saline water, and heat. However, whether these will influence the dormancy period or not depends strictly on the type of seed. 

While some seeds germinate faster in a cold climate, other seeds break dormancy under heat.   

Why Is Understanding Plant Embryo Development Necessary

Plant embryo development is an important concept, and it’s important to understand it for many reasons. A solid grasp of this topic can help us in a multitude of ways. 

For starters, understanding how a plant’s embryo develops can help researchers come up with new ways of irrigation and cultivation. With the acquired knowledge, it’s possible to tweak the existing methods for a faster and better harvest. 

Moreover, researchers can edit the genome of plants to enhance their output as well as durability. Furthermore, it’s also possible to make plants resistant to certain diseases.

By understanding the germination process of a certain plant, it’s possible to make a new species out of it that’s more refined and yields higher output. 

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Conclusion

Hopefully, our detailed discussion on embryogenesis and how to plant an embryo might be affected by environmental factors satisfied your curiosity.  

Now that you know the concept, we highly recommend picking a handful of plant species and learning how embryogenesis works for them. 

Plant and animal cells have certain distinguishing features which sets them apart from each other. However, both plant and animal cells are built with certain structural layers and organelles that are responsible for various important functions within the cell. One such structural layer is cell wall. Cell walls are an integral part of a cell, and they play a pivotal role in maintaining the filtering mechanism of the cell.

But do plant cells have cell walls? Why do plant cells need cell walls in the first place? Find out why the cell wall is a crucial aspect of cells in this article.

What Are Cell Walls?

Before diving into the discussion, let’s have a look at what cell walls actually are.

All cells have an outer boundary. Cell wall is the outer boundary in some cell types. It is a rigid layer outside the cell which resides next to the plasma membrane. This rigid layer is due to the presence of a huge number of polysaccharides and the passive uptake of water.

Cell walls are known for their incredible support to the cell and its components. Besides, cell walls also have protective and filtering functions. They not only act as a boundary to the cells but have crucial roles in maintaining the growth of plants.

A cell wall is a distinct and specialized manifestation of the extracellular matrix in cells. It is mostly composed of cellulose, matrix polysaccharides, and proteins. Other than these compositions, cell walls serve as an important form of intercellular communications. 

Do Plant Cells Have Cell Walls?

The cell wall is a distinct and integral part of plant cells. In fact, cell wall is a crucial differentiating point between plant and animal cells. Animal cells lack a cell wall, which is one of the main distinguishing features between plant and animal cell.

A cell wall forms the main framework for a cell. All the other structural layers and organelles are housed within the cell wall. The main reason why plant cells need cell wall is because of their continuous water transportation. Due to continuous water transportation, plant cells are always at risk of swelling and bursting out. A tough and rigid layer like cell wall protects the cell from expanding and keeps it at bay. 

Cell walls have optimum control on the internal turgor pressure within the plant cells. They also have an important role in maintaining the osmolarity in plant cells. Besides, plant cell walls take part in hydration, transportation, protection, vitality, and survival. 

The Role of Cell Walls in Plant Cells 

Cell walls play a vital role in plant cells. Let’s have a look at how a cell wall functions in plant cells-

Providing Mechanical Support

The cell wall maintains the shape and size of the cell with the help of its rigid composition formed with cellulose and proteins. It provides mechanical strength to the entire cell and protects the cell from osmotic stress. Cell wall in plants also allows semi-permeability and provides the passage for cellular substances to move in and out of the cell easily.

Withstanding Internal Turgor Pressure

One of the most crucial roles of cell wall is withstanding the internal turgor pressure within the cells and preventing the cells from bursting with excess water transportation. The cell wall acts as a tough membrane for the plant cell and allows smooth water transport across the cell without expanding to a maximum extent.

Intercellular Communication

Another important function of cell wall is to maintain intercellular communication by forming pores and channels called plasmodesmata. With the help of such kinds of intercellular communications, different signals can pass from one cell to another. The plant cells can form a strong support system among each other through this unique form of communication.

Protection Against Pathogens

The cell wall acts as an excellent barrier against pathogens like plant viruses, harmful bacteria, and so on. It prevents pathogens from entering the plant cell and disrupting the normal cellular function.

Storage Function

Cell wall acts as a storage for carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are later utilized by the plants for growth purposes. It is a common phenomenon among seeds of the plants.

What Are Cell Walls made Of 

Cell walls are made of a combination of different substances. The majority of cell wall is occupied by cellulose molecules. However, cell walls also bear protein molecules and matrix polysaccharides. 

Bacterial cell walls are composed of peptidoglycans, while fungal cell walls are formed with chitin. Algal cell walls also consist of polysaccharide molecules similar to plant cell walls. Most of the cell walls are composed of structural glycoproteins that perform a multitude of functions within the cell.

The cellulose molecules in a cell wall are arranged in a flat ribbon-like structure. Matrix polysaccharides within the cell wall are formed with hemicellulose and pectin. Pectin is a pectic polysaccharide that has a pivotal role in cell adhesion. On the other hand, hemicellulose includes xylans, glucans, and mannans. They form the structure of the walls and facilitate plant growth. The origin of both pectin and hemicellulose is from the Golgi apparatus of the plant cell.

Plant cell wall is also formed with many glycoproteins, mainly hydroxyproline and serine. Besides, other structural composition of the cell wall includes lignin, cutin, suberin, which have incredible role in providing stability and protection to the adjacent plant cells. 

Can Plant Cells Survive Without Cell Walls 

Man cannot survive without a house. Similarly a plant cell cannot survive without its cell wall. Plant cells need cell walls for their sustenance and survival.

If plant cells did not have cell walls, there would have been a high risk of the cells expanding due to excess internal pressure and bursting out. This would lead to the untimely death of the cell, and there would be no plant left in the world at some point.

Cell walls protect the plant cells from their cessation by maintaining their internal turgor pressure and ensuring stability within the cells. Besides, cell walls protect the cellular components from external impact and keep the organelles intact. If plant cells lacked cell walls, any external impact would’ve destroyed the cellular organelles, and plant life would have ceased to exist.

So, it can be said that, without cell walls, plant cells will never survive. This is why cell walls are termed as the savior of plant cells.

The Unique Abilities of Plant Cell Walls 

One of the unique abilities of a plant cell wall is the ability to expand without undergoing any breakage. This is something applaudable as cells have many factors that can cause them to expand hugely. However, with the cell wall being a tough layer, this process is almost impossible. Cells can no longer expand with breakage and disruption in the presence of cell walls. As a result, it assists in the growth of the plant and prevents untimely death of the plant.

Conclusion

Bringing it to an end, it can be said that plant cells cannot function without a cell wall. From forming the framework to helping in different physiological functions of the cell, a cell wall is one of the most important parts of the cell. 

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