The underground fungal network
Airborne chemical distress signals
Whispers through roots and electricity
The dark side of plant gossip
YOUR GOAL
Master of How plants talk
artiteacher Whispers through roots and electricity
Under the moss, they’re talking on a hidden wire / Sending warnings through the roots to save each other...
artiteacher Some plants can identify their siblings through root chemicals and reduce competition for resources.
artiteacher Roots release a cocktail of chemicals called exudates to communicate with soil microbes and other plants.
artiteacher Sort the chemical signals to learn how plants select and refine their warning messages.
Plant electricity: Plants use glutamate, the same chemical messenger that human brains use, to send electrical signals through their leaves.
A symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a plant. In 1997, Suzanne Simard proved that different tree species share carbon through these underground fungal links.
What chemical messenger do plants use to trigger electrical waves, which is also found in human brains?
What percentage of photosynthetic carbon do plant roots release as chemical exudates?
What acoustic cue did researchers find pea plant roots growing toward in Australian studies?
What are the electrical waves that travel through a plant's vascular system called?
Which plant was featured in a 2007 study showing it can recognize its siblings?
How fast can electrical defense signals travel through a plant's vascular system?