Plants might seem like they just sit around, but they actually have some pretty amazing abilities. One of the coolest things about plants is that they can “see” in their own special way.
Hi, I’m Kate from MinuteEarth. When you add a new plant to your garden, the plants already there can quickly notice it. Plants have different ways to communicate, like sending signals through the air or using underground networks of fungi. But when it comes to spotting new neighbors, plants mainly use their own version of vision.
Even though plants don’t have eyes like animals, they have something similar called “photoreceptors.” These are proteins that can sense different colors of light. One important color for plants is “far-red,” which is a type of light that’s beyond what humans can see.
Green leaves reflect a lot of far-red light compared to other colors. This is different from most other things around them. So, if a plant’s photoreceptors pick up a lot of far-red light from one direction, it probably means there are other plants nearby. These neighbors might soon compete for sunlight and other resources. By detecting this light, plants can “see” potential rivals before they become a problem.
Once plants sense nearby competition, they can take action. They can’t move like animals, but they can grow faster or make more leaves on the side away from the competitor to catch more sunlight. Some plants might even flower earlier to get a head start in reproduction. Even though plants aren’t known for moving quickly, these changes can start happening within minutes of detecting far-red light.
While it might seem like you need eyes to see, plants use their special biological tools to gather information from light and change their behavior, much like animals do with their eyes.
The way plants use light is not only important for them but also for scientists who study them. Understanding how light affects plant interactions can help us learn more about ecosystems. One project exploring this is the ASCEND project, funded by the National Science Foundation. Led by Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Phil Townsend, and Peter Reich, the ASCEND team uses observations and experiments to understand how changes in plant diversity affect the world. They are also training new scientists to see how life is connected across different scales and influenced by global changes.
Conduct a simple experiment to observe how plants respond to different colors of light. Use colored cellophane or LED lights to cover parts of a plant and observe how it grows over a week. Record your observations and discuss how the plant’s growth might relate to its ability to “see” light.
Using craft materials, create a model that demonstrates how plants communicate through underground networks and air signals. Present your model to the class, explaining how plants use these methods to detect and respond to their environment.
In groups, role-play a scenario where plants compete for sunlight. Assign roles such as different types of plants, sunlight, and obstacles. Discuss strategies plants might use to outgrow their competitors and how they “see” their neighbors using far-red light.
Research the importance of far-red light in plant growth and development. Create a presentation or poster that explains how plants detect this light and the biological processes involved. Share your findings with the class.
Prepare questions and conduct a mock interview with a scientist studying plant vision. Use information from the ASCEND project to guide your questions. Role-play the interview with a classmate and discuss what you learned about plant interactions and ecosystems.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Plants may appear to be stationary, but they are capable of fascinating behaviors. One particularly interesting example is that plants can essentially “see.”
Hi, I’m Kate, and this is MinuteEarth. When you introduce a new plant to your garden, nearby plants can quickly sense its presence. Plants communicate in various ways, such as through volatile chemicals in the air or underground fungal networks. However, when it comes to detecting potential competitors, plants primarily rely on their visual systems.
Although plants do not have eyes like animals, they possess a plant-specific version of the light-sensing mechanisms found in animal eyes. These are proteins known as “photoreceptors,” which respond to specific wavelengths of light—essentially, different colors. One of the most crucial colors for plants is called “far-red,” which is light at the extreme red end of the spectrum, beyond what humans can see.
Interestingly, green vegetation reflects a significant amount of far-red light compared to other colors, especially when compared to the amount of normal red light it reflects. This is not true for most other objects in the environment. Therefore, if a plant’s photoreceptors detect a high level of far-red light from a particular direction, it likely indicates the presence of nearby leafy competitors that may soon compete for sunlight and other resources. In this way, photoreceptors enable plants to “see” potential competitors before they become a threat.
With this early warning, plants can take action to gain an advantage over their rivals. Since plants are rooted in place, they cannot move, but they can respond by growing faster or producing new leaves—especially on the side opposite the competitor—to capture more light. They may even flower early to gain a reproductive advantage. Although plants are not typically thought of as fast-moving organisms, these responses can begin within minutes of detecting changes in far-red light.
While one might argue that an organism needs eyes to see, what plants do—utilizing specialized biological mechanisms to gather information about different wavelengths of light and adjusting their behavior accordingly—is quite similar to how animals use their eyes.
Additionally, the information conveyed by different wavelengths of light is not only vital for plants but also for researchers studying them. Understanding how light quality affects plant interactions can have significant implications for ecosystem functioning. One group investigating the role of light quality in ecosystem diversity and productivity is the ASCEND project, a National Science Foundation-funded Biological Integration Institute led by Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Phil Townsend, and Peter Reich. The ASCEND team combines observations, advanced experiments, and theoretical approaches to better understand the causes and consequences of changes in plant biodiversity in a rapidly changing world. They are also training the next generation of integrative biologists to recognize how variations in life are interconnected across different scales and influenced by global changes.
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This version maintains the core information while removing informal language and ensuring clarity.
Plants – Living organisms that typically grow in soil, have leaves, stems, and roots, and use sunlight to make their own food through photosynthesis. – Example sentence: Plants are essential to life on Earth because they produce oxygen and provide food for many organisms.
Light – A form of energy that is visible to the human eye and is necessary for the process of photosynthesis in plants. – Example sentence: Without light, plants cannot perform photosynthesis and produce the energy they need to grow.
Vision – The ability to see, which in animals is often dependent on light-sensitive cells in the eyes. – Example sentence: The vision of nocturnal animals is adapted to low-light conditions, allowing them to see well at night.
Competition – The struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources. – Example sentence: In the forest, there is competition among trees for sunlight, water, and nutrients.
Resources – Materials or substances such as water, nutrients, and light that organisms need to grow and survive. – Example sentence: Animals and plants must compete for resources like food, water, and space in their environments.
Photoreceptors – Cells in plants and animals that detect light and allow organisms to respond to changes in their environment. – Example sentence: Photoreceptors in the eyes of animals help them see by detecting light and sending signals to the brain.
Far-red – A type of light that is at the edge of the visible spectrum and can influence plant growth and development. – Example sentence: Far-red light can affect the way plants grow by signaling them to stretch taller when shaded by other plants.
Ecosystems – Communities of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment. – Example sentence: Healthy ecosystems provide services like clean water, air, and fertile soil for plants and animals.
Diversity – The variety of different species and genetic variations within an ecosystem. – Example sentence: Biodiversity is important because it helps ecosystems remain resilient and productive.
Behavior – The actions or reactions of an organism in response to external or internal stimuli. – Example sentence: The behavior of animals can change with the seasons, such as migrating to warmer areas during winter.
