Most people know that plants react to light.
For instance, if a houseplant is near a window it will start to grow towards the light.
But what about sound?
New research shows that plants not only react to sound, but even produce sounds themselves.
Dr. Monica Gagliano is a researcher at The University of Western Australia. One day she was working in her herb garden and she started to wonder if plants were sensitive to sounds. Since she’s a scientist, she decided to find out.
She and some other researchers discovered something amazing. They found out that the roots of corn seedlings (very young corn plants) make clicking sounds.
(The clicking noises they make can’t be heard by the human ear.)
They also found out that when they suspended the roots of corn plans in water, the roots leaned towards a source of continuous sound. They used a sound that was in the same frequency range that the corn plants themselves emitted—in other words, they used sounds that were similar to the “clicking sounds” the corn seedlings made.
Gagliano’s research backs up earlier research by other scientists who discovered that chili seeds reacted to certain noises.
Gagliano said she is still looking into the reasons behind the clicking sounds. But she said it is very likely that sound and vibrations play an important role in the life of plants.
She wants to try to raise some money so she can continue to research the connection between plants and sound.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
By Kathleen Tilly
Writing/Discussion Prompt
No one knows why plants make these clicking noises. Why do you think they make them?
Reading Prompt: Extending Understanding
The last line of this article states, “She wants to try to raise some money so she can continue to research the connection between plants and sound.”
Who do you think would invest money in this research? Why?
How could finding out the answer to this mystery help us?
Primary
Extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and experience, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading: 1.6).
Junior
Extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading: 1.6).
Intermediate
Extend understanding of texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading: 1.6).
Grammar Feature: Adjectives
Gagliano is a scientist. What characteristics would you use to describe her? What adjectives would you use to describe all scientists?
