Chapter 1
The ultimate botanical drama queen
Chapter 2
The plant that remembers
Chapter 3
Global roots and shy legends
Chapter 4
Sleep, siblings, and cyborgs
YOUR GOAL
Master of The dramatic life of the sensitive plant
Ch 1 · The ultimate botanical drama queen
artiteacher The Sensitive Plant
Drop me over and over, I am keeping my leaves wide open!
artiteacher Reducing surface area allows wind to pass Mimosa pudica harmlessly, preventing leaf tearing and root soil erosion.
artiteacher A startled grasshopper recoils as folding green leaves reveal sharp thorns on the stem.
Fun Fact
Plant speed: The sensitive plant's folding response is so fast it can travel thirty millimeters per second.
Glossary
thigmonasty (noun)
A rapid, non-directional movement of a plant part in response to touch or physical contact. This mechanism allows Mimosa pudica to rapidly fold its leaflets within seconds of being touched.
A rapid, non-directional movement of a plant part in response to touch or physical contact. This mechanism allows Mimosa pudica to rapidly fold its leaflets within seconds of being touched.
Quiz
Why does the sensitive plant fold its leaves when a grasshopper or other herbivore touches it?
Quiz
Approximately how fast does the electrical signal travel through the sensitive plant to fold its leaves?
Quiz
What force, caused by water pressure inside the plant cells, drops suddenly when the sensitive plant folds?
Quiz
How does folding its leaves help the sensitive plant survive heavy tropical rainstorms?
Quiz
How does the sensitive plant send its electrical signals throughout its body without having a nervous system?
Quiz
What type of plant movement is the rapid folding of the sensitive plant in response to touch?
Quiz
What is the name of the specialized swollen cell hinges that control the folding of the sensitive plant's leaves?
Quiz
Which chemical element rushes out of the cells of the sensitive plant to trigger its rapid leaf folding?