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Fact of the Day: Plants can hear themselves being eaten
It might sound bizarre, but science says it’s true: plants can 'hear' themselves being eaten—and they fight back.
In a study by researchers at the University of Missouri, scientists discovered that when caterpillars munch on Arabidopsis thaliana (a cabbage-like plant), the plant senses the vibrations of the chewing. Even more shocking? The plant responds by releasing defensive chemicals, like mustard oil, to deter the attacker.
Here’s the twist: when scientists played back the sound of chewing (without any actual caterpillars), the plants reacted the same way—releasing chemicals to defend themselves from an attack that wasn’t even happening.
This was the first solid evidence that plants can detect ecologically relevant sounds and respond with real, biological defences. While they may not 'hear' like animals do, plants clearly sense danger in their own way.
Source: InformOverload / YouTube
