How Plants Sense Touch (Week 6)

 This week I learned how plants sense touch. When a plant is acted upon by an outside force the amino acid glutamate is released. Glutamate goes on to alert receptors that release a calcium signal. The calcium flows through the plant via its vascular system. The vascular system triggers defense hormones (salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene) to travel to the leaves which tells of the external force. So basically when we touch a plant, hormones are the messengers which carry the message of biochemicals. Each of these chemicals cause a different reaction. In the specific biochemicals in these hormones cause the plant to be on altert for the possibility of anger near them. Different hormones are released based on the external interaction of the force on the plant. I am finding this really fascinating. I love seeing the way biology and chemistry are interwoven. This semester is my first introduction to chemistry and being able to incorporate what I am learning into my passion for plant makes this research all the more meaningful.

SOURCES

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeLSyU_iI9o

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/plant-hormones

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4165286/

https://www.dummies.com/education/science/biology/how-plants-send-signals-with-plant-hormones/

http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/secondary-plant-nutrients-calcium-magnesium-and-sulfur#:~:text=The%20primary%20function%20of%20calcium,normally%20not%20deficient%20in%20calcium.

https://bsppjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/mpp.12204#:~:text=Four%20hormones%20primarily%20regulate%20plant,and%20abscisic%20acid%20(ABA).