The secret of mimosa's shyness
Mimosa seems to have special "motor cells". Just touch its leaves and it will bow its head at once. Why do mimosa exercise? Most botanists believe that this is due to the expansion and compression of leaves. At the base of the petiole of mimosa, there is a protruding parenchyma called leaf pillow, which is full of water. When you touch the mimosa with your hand, as soon as its leaves vibrate, the water in the cells under the pillow immediately flows upward or sideways. In this way, the lower part of the pillow deflates like a deflated ball, the upper part bulges like a deflated ball, and the petiole droops and closes. When a leaf is stimulated to close, it will produce a kind of bioelectricity, which will quickly spread the stimulation information to other leaves, and other leaves will also close. When this stimulation disappears, the lower part of the leaf pillow is gradually filled with water, and the leaves will open again and return to their original appearance.
Dancing leaves
In the south of China, there is a perennial herb called Wu Ye grass. Its leaves often swing spontaneously without any external touch and stimulation, as if dancing. Why does the dancing grass dance? We know that plants produce nutrients for their own growth through photosynthesis. In order to get more sunshine, the leaves of Dancing Grass always face the sun or bright places, and change their positions with the movement of light, making the leaves dance. So, how do the leaves change their positions? The information of light and temperature changes will be transmitted to the cells in the occipital lobe through two bioactive substances. These two substances can make occipital cells absorb water and expand, while others spit water and contract. The expansion and contraction of cells create a pressure difference, and the leaves move to the side with less pressure. In this way, the leaves danced a charming and colorful "dance".