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At first glance, plants are a mundane
part of life. From the grass on your front
lawn to the towering trees, they cover
the Earth in a blanket of green and have
become an expected, yet ignored, part
of our existence.
It seems that they do nothing else other
than grow and look pretty in our
flowerpots. Yet, plants hold a hidden
world among their leaves. They have a
host of fascinating abilities that were
once unknown.

10 They Help You Live Longer

The benefits of having pets is well-
documented. Who knew the same could
apply to plants?
A study conducted by researchers at the
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public
Health and Brigham and Women’s
Hospital found that simply having plants
around the house was enough to lower
the death rate by 12 percent. More than
100,000 US women were included in
the study. Those with the most greenery
around their homes—such as grass,
trees, and bushes—were found to face
lower rates of depression, kidney
disease, respiratory disease, and cancer .
Reasons for this surprising trend could
stem from having more space to
socialize or exercise in, lower levels of
air pollution, and improved mental
health. Or it may simply be due to
nature’s naturally soothing effect.
“It is important to know that trees and
plants provide health benefits in our
communities as well as beauty. The
finding of reduced mortality suggests
that vegetation may be important to
health in a broad range of ways,”
stated Linda Birnbaum, director of the
National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences.
Turns out that the elixir of life doesn’t
come in the form of a magical potion or
fountain. Instead, it’s in the shape of
your friendly potted fern.

9 They Contribute To Pollution

The phrase “alien invader” invokes
images of a little green man from space
armed with lasers and bent on world
domination. What most people don’t
know is that it also describes a very
fickle, stubborn, and voracious plant that
is hell-bent on terrorizing the South.
Kudzu, like peanuts , is a member of the
legume family. Unlike peanuts, it is one
of the most invasive species in the
world, growing at a rate of 1 meter (3 ft)
every three days. First brought to the US
in 1876, it now spreads at a rate of
50,000 hectares per year, smothering
the land and eating its way through
houses, trees, utility poles, and delicate
forests.
Although the fact that it destroys entire
ecosystems is devastating enough,
kudzu is also contributing to the rising
level of greenhouse gases. Soil is made
up of vast amounts of carbon. This
carbon comes naturally as organisms,
matter, and wastes decay into the
ground, locking it in like a reservoir. As
time passes, greenhouse gases are
released into the air as soil microbes
break down the matter.
Instead of helping the environment,
kudzu changes the rate at which the
matter degrades and increases the
amount of carbon released from the soil.
Its leaves and stems are easier for the
microbes to break down. In the
overgrown forests in which it invades,
kudzu encourages the microbes to
digest plant matter faster, releasing up
to 4.8 tons of carbon per year. This is
startling enough because plants are
often seen as nature’s warriors that
are armed to clean the air.

8 They Can ‘Hear’

Being eaten alive is one of the worst
ways to go. Thankfully, plants lack the
capabilities to know that they are being
washed, cut, and prepped for a salad.
Or do they?
Researchers at the University of
Missouri–Columbia have found that
plants actually put up defenses in
response to the snacking sounds of
caterpillars. In the experiment,
caterpillars were placed onto a
cabbage-like species. Then, the
caterpillars were removed and vibrations
of the munching noises were recorded
and played back.
In a surprising discovery, it was revealed
that the plants actually produced
mustard oil in response to the perceived
attack, a chemical meant to ward off
predators. They were even able to
distinguish between vibrations that
meant danger and others made by wind
and insect mating calls. It is
hypothesized that as the sound waves
make the leaves vibrate, sensitive
proteins within the leaves help them
perceive the stimulus as noise.
Heidi Appel, a research scientist in the
study, explained, “Our work is the first
example of how plants respond to an
ecologically relevant vibration. We found
that feeding vibrations signal changes in
the plant cells’ metabolism, creating
more defensive chemicals that can repel
attacks from caterpillars.”
Perhaps sound can replace pesticides,
becoming the next form of weapon
against pests.

7 They Water Themselves

What’s stranger than a plant that
pollutes and a plant that hears? One that
waters itself with no hands necessary.
The desert rhubarb plant possesses this
ability, which would make any gardener
jump with joy. It even harvests 16 times
more water than surrounding species.
Like any other desert plant, the species
has evolved to brave the tough, searing
temperatures and does so in a crafty
way. Each of its one to four leaves can
reach up to 71 centimeters (28 in). The
wax-covered ridges on the leaves’
surface act like mountains that channel
water toward the single root in the
plant’s center.
The mechanism allows it to gather as
much water as a plant in the
Mediterranean, along with soaking the
ground beneath it to a depth of at least
10 centimeters (4 in). Perhaps plants are
smarter than we give them credit for.

6 They Transform Into Beating Hearts,
Spinach leaves can carry blood to grow
human tissues

We’ve come a long way in the medical
field. The rise of civilization gave way to
a series of scientific breakthroughs, with
new discoveries lighting up the path to
bigger and better accomplishments. In
fact, some of that road is paved with
spinach!
Scientists were able to transform a
spinach leaf into human heart tissue that
beats liquid through its plant veins,
overcoming the problem that laboratories
faced in making vascular systems with
tiny, delicate blood vessels. These
capillaries are only the length of a
hair’s width. Despite their size, they
have a very important job to do: Without
them, the cells in your organs wouldn’t
be able to get the blood they need.
Luckily, spinach is crammed with a
system of veins that transport nutrients
around its tissue. Plant cells are
removed from the leaf, leaving behind a
ghostly white frame of cellulose that is
then dipped into live human cells.
Human tissue grew around the frame,
becoming one with the tiny veins and
transforming the spinach into a beating
miniature heart.
In time, this may benefit patients with
damaged heart tissue from cardiac
arrest or other illnesses.

5 They Eat Each Other

Though they have often been the
epitome of vegetarianism and veganism,
plants are far from peaceful. In the case
of Venus flytraps and pitcher plants, they
are predators of the insect world,
preying on its unsuspecting inhabitants.
In other cases, however, they prey on
their own kind.
Bladderworts live in rivers, lakes , and
soggy soil. Like Venus flytraps, these
oddly named plants boast traps of their
own: Underwater, their leaves hide
hundreds of tiny, hollow sacs. The
pressure inside is lower than the
pressure outside. When unsuspecting
worms or larvae brush up against a
trigger hair, a secret door jerks open and
water flows inside, carrying the prey with
it to its doom.
But among the insects and nematodes,
biologists have discovered something
strange: algae inside the bladderworts’
stomachs. Had they been accidentally
sucked in? Or were they part of the
plants diet? Marianne Peroutka and her colleagues
at the University of Vienna discovered
that algae made up about 80 percent of
the traps’ contents in certain conditions. The percentage was even higher among bladderworts living in soft water (where there is a low amount of
ions and minerals).
Fewer animals live there, which means
fewer prey. The bladderworts may make
up for it by digesting algae, giving us a
firsthand glimpse at the existence of
omnivorous plants.

4 They Cry For Help

Though they can’t talk, plants use
chemicals that act as a communication
device. When under attack by bacteria,
for example, the plants call to their roots
for help. The roots then emit an acid
that sends beneficial bacteria to their
aid.
Harsh Bais and his colleagues at the
University of Delaware experimented by
infecting the leaves of thale cress with a
pathogen. Those whose roots were
protected with the microbe Bacillus
subtilis , however, survived without a
scratch.
A long-distance transmission was
detected in which the leaves called to
the roots for help. Thanks to the Bacillus,
the roots secreted malic acid, a
chemical that attracts the microbe and
strengthens the defense barriers.
The study revealed that, instead of
acting as defenseless targets, many
plants actually have an effective weapon
up their sleeve. “Plants are a lot
smarter than we give them credit for,”
said Bais.

3 They Learn From Experience

As revealed before, plants aren’t as
brainless as they seem. In fact, new
research reveals that they may even be
intelligent . Michael Pollan, author of The
Omnivore’s Dilemma , explained that
“they have analogous structures . . .
ways of taking all the sensory data they
gather in their everyday lives . . . integrate it and then behave in an appropriate way in response. And they do this without brains, which, in a way,
is what’s incredible about it.”
Like humans, they can “hear” the
crunching of a hungry caterpillar and
“call” to microbes for help against
pests. Pollan also believes that they can
detect water and gravity, much like a
human, and shift the direction in which
their roots grow if they come across a
rock in the ground.
But do they feel pain?
“You can put a plant out with a human
anesthetic,” Pollan continues. As
remarkable as it sounds, it does not
prove that plants sense pain. But while
they lack nerve cells, plants do send
electrical signals and secrete
neurotransmitters, such as dopamine
and serotonin, that are found in the
human brain.
This suggests evidence for another eye-
opening claim: Plants can actually learn
and remember. In fact, biologist Monica
Gagliano conducted an experiment in
which mimosa plants were dropped
from a height without being hurt. When
touched, the leaves folded in on
themselves. After the fifth or sixth drop,
however, the plants stopped responding
and seemed to “learn” that they were
in no danger, even retaining the
information for up to a month.
Pollan explains, “The line between
plants and animals might be a little
softer than we traditionally think of it
as.”

2 They ‘Recognize’ Their Siblings

Researchers in Canada found out that
when sea rockets are grown together
with siblings, they “play nice” and
purposefully keep their roots small and
close by. They twine their leaves
together. But with an unrelated plant, the
story is different: The sea rocket
competes for nutrients by developing
longer roots and grows rigid so that its
leaves do not touch those of the other
plant.
Researcher Harsh Bais used thale cress
to search for ways in which they identify
each other as siblings and not as
strangers. Seedlings were either
exposed to root secretions from
themselves, their family members, or
unrelated plants. The length of their
lateral roots was then measured. It was
concluded that the roots from the plants
exposed to strangers were longer.
The study may prove helpful for
gardeners. Bais stated, “Often, we’ll
put plants in the ground next to each
other, and when they don’t do well, we
blame the local garden center where we
bought them or we attribute their failure
to a pathogen. But maybe there’s
more to it than that.”

1 Plant Telephones

Ecologist Roxina Soler and her
colleagues discovered that plants can
be used as miniature communication
devices—not by humans but by the
bugs that live both aboveground and
belowground. This leads to what we can
guess is an interesting conversation.
When they move in underneath the soil
to feast on the plant’s roots, the bugs
send a chemical signal up the leaves to
warn those aboveground that the plant
is occupied. This avoids the awkward
situation of having to compete for the
same plant.
It seems that, through natural selection,
the underground and aboveground
insects developed this crafty mechanism
to detect each other. The phone lines
also benefit parasitic wasps that search
for places to lay their eggs. The leaves
secrete chemicals that communicate
whether or not the roots are vacant.
Although it is unknown how universal
this system is, the ability for bugs to use
plants as biophone lines proves
interesting nonetheless.

Sources : www.listverse.com

ecolime:

Tinubu & Atiku left the group chat.

They didn't even mention Sowore

Tinubu and Atiku left the group chat with the fastest speed. Money bag crooks.

They've all left the group chat.

to the ladies that knows it all up there, your show of hate for what ever reason won't solve any of your problems. you could as well just looked and pass instead of displaying your frustrations in the wrong direction.

Sorry as I might have posted this in the wrong section. But at which ever section this is posted, I know there are football lovers there, so please abeg moderator/football lovers mak una help us celebrate this player who they say only graces our planet once in every 100 Years. He is LEONEL MESSI. I wish messi himself could see this. Abeg who fit help me call messi attention.

This guy is the only extra terrestrial mercenary in all dimensions of the game of the round leather. Specie of his kind only graces planet earth once in 50years. I just gat to immortalize this guy in my own way even though he is still alive, it's a privilege he existed in our time for us to watch. My humble drawing of him in my humble art gallery collection.
Cc lalasticlala
Ishilove
Seun

Would Like To Know If Actually "Examination Is The True Test Of Knowledge". I School In A Place Where It Seems "cramming" Has Become The True Test Of Knowledge. Cramming Is Gradually Taking Over As The True Test Of Knowledge In The Educational System Of Nigeria. There Seem To Be A Thin Line Between Knowledge And Cramming Which I Find It Difficult To Fanthom. A War For Superiority Is Going On Between Knowledge And Cramming In Most Of Our Educational Institution. Your View Is Highly Appreciated.

please to the very well able mod involved, this should be front paged so as to intensify the campaign against the menace of suicide. thanks.

Please i really don't know if this post should be posted here or posted on other section. The concern for the growing rates at which suicide is been committed lately is beginning to become like an infestation of a killer disease epidemic. Suicide is gradually now been assumed to be a "no big deal option" for people who seek for solution to there problems or issues, Discretion and judgement is now been denied as people are now willingly forming a blind eye of the consequences in committing suicide. Am afraid because with this development, I see a future where suicide would gradually become an acceptable option in making choices for the people who feel they are pushed to the wall. If This Trending New Short Cut To Solving Problem
Which People Now Chose To Embark On Called Suicide Is
Not Vaccinated As Soonest As Possible Through
Involving And Doing What Ever It Takes To Tame This
Latest Illness, Then I Fear People Would Start Seeing
Reasons To Accept It As A Legal Formular For
Quenching What Ever Problems Or Issues They Think
They Have Which They Think Weighs Greater Than There
Life, I Fear That People Would Willingly Start Cooking Up
And Creating Reason To Accept It As A Norm And This
Would Spread To Become An Uncontrollable Epidermic In
This Country. Suicide Is A Silent Killer I See The People
Involved For Taming this Latest Out Break Turning A
Blind Eye As If They Are Not Seeing What Is Happening. I
Fear For The Worst If This Is Not Tamed Now because With the current Rate At Which Death Occurs This Days, People No
Longer Fear Death And Hence Suicide Is Becoming An
Acceptable Option For Many People. May God Help Us In
Evicting This Enemy Called Suicide Sent To This World
From The Pit Of Hell. No any human assumed reason under the sun should be a cause for someone to chose the option of committing suicide no matter the situation someone is facing. Just like I do myself, people should start implementing the habit of "LOOKING ALWAYS ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE" so that suicide won't be among the list of option for making choices to solve one's problem. People should start interpretating life from the understanding that there is a God in heaven who can change a situation no matter how critical the situation might seems. Shalom.

Please I Was Made To Understand That All Is Set For The Pay-Off Of The Former Nigerian Airways Staff But I Keep Wondering What Is Still Holding The Government Back From Fixing A Date And Venues For The Pay-Off They Claim Is All Set. Info Flew Over News Paper That The President Has Approved The Money Needed To Settle The Ex Airways Staff And That They Would Pay In March, Up Till Now Still Yet Nothing Happened. Am A Son To One Of The Deceased Ex Staff Of The Nigerian Airways Who Is A Beneficiary, I Want To Find Out And To Share Info With Any One Here Who Has Any Latest Info On What Is Happening Concerning The Nigerian Airways Ex Staff Payment. Hoping To Hear From Fellow Nairalanders Who Are Following The Nigerian Airway Pay-off Issue. Thankz.

Majority of Nigerians are not civilized enough to be allowed to possess weapons. I can imagine how many would die through accidental discharge because of someone's ignorance. Police that are even trained to handle weapon end up killing someone and they would call that accidental discharge.