Second Draft edit
In 2003, Anthony Trewavas led a study to see how the roots interact with one another and study their signal transduction methods. He was able to draw similarities between water stress signals in plants affecting developmental changes and signal transductions in neural networks causing responses in muscle. [1] Particularly, when plants are under water stress, there are abscisic acid dependent and independent effects on development. [2] This brings to light further possibilities of plant decision-making based on its environmental stresses. The integration of multiple chemical interactions show evidence of the complexity in these root systems. [3]
In 2014, Anthony Trewavas released a book called Plant Behavior and Intelligence that highlighted a plant's cognition through its colonial-organization skills reflecting insect swarm behaviors. [4] This organizational skill reflects the plants ability to interact with its surroundings to improve its survivability, and a plant's ability to identify exterior factors. Evidence of the plant's minimal cognition of spacial awareness can be seen in their root allocation in regards to neighboring plants. [5] The organizational cognition of these roots have been found to originate from the root tip of plants.[6]
Article Draft edit
Addition to Research Subtopic
Anthony Trewavas's book Plant Behavior and Intelligence highlights several research points to support a plant's cognitive ability. In general, self-organization provides evidence of cognition as seen in an animal's ability to coordinate behavior, or developmental processes. Plants in turn have a similar ability to organize themselves into colonies that resemble insect swarm behaviors. [7] The arrangement of a plant's organs to be unique brings forth evidence of self-organizational properties. Furthermore, the division of plant sections and varying functions provide a versatility that in some way must be controlled. [8]
Observational studies have been taken to gain a better understanding behind how a plant can learn, or store memory. One such example rises from a study that Trewavas led in signal transduction. He was able to to draw similarities between how signal transduction in neural networks cause fitness responses in muscle, and how water stress signals in plants result in developmental changes for better survival. [9] More specifically, studies have also come to show that evidence of plant cognition can be seen in root tips, and how they are able to grow in a specific organizational manner. [10]
It is known that plants can have very complex root systems and are involved with multiple chemical interactions. [11] (Not sure where to go in direction with this part, but have some ideas)
Additional subtopic: Modern Relevance Plant cognition continues to be a topic of a research, but has much room to grow. With upcoming technology, new tools are becoming available to better study the root system of plants. The importance of studying roots can be maintained by the fact that several roots give a better idea over specie to specie interactions, and developmental patterns. [12] With further research on plant cognition, scientist will have a better understanding over how plants interact with one another, but also with animals as well.
Ideas Draft edit
Mimosa Pudica Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa_pudica
Improvement Notes: The Mimosa article shows much needed improvement in regards to related research. There needs to be further detail as to the extensive usage of mimosa plants in several trials to show evidence to plants' ability to sense their environment. In reading the article, it also appears that further detail needs to be added in regards to the movement section. The physiological components of movement could be further expanded on in regards to the effect of hormones, or other internal cues. In addition, the page appears further updating on any recent innovations, or tests in regards to mimosa plants.
Edit and Citation: The mimosa plant has shown promising medicinal purposes upon further research on its bioactive and organic components.[13]
Plant Cognition Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_cognition
Improvement Notes: This page appears to lack enough research on this topic. I believe that there can be further references to research that helps to understand, or better explain plant cognition. I also believe that there needs to be a better definition of plant cognition and what that entails for a plant relative to an animal. I would also like to include a section that shows the benefits to this study. I feel it is important to include real-life examples of plant cognition replication and a comparison between modern day computers. As seen in class, modern day information systems could learn from root systems of plants. Mainly, I feel that placing a defining term with relevant references can change the scope and direction of this page.
Edit and Citation: Plant cognition continues to be debated amongst scientist, and for that matter, requires a concentrated approach to its defining qualities. Evidence of plant cognition rises from research on plant neurological properties that differ drastically in terms of degree of function, but share defining properties of information management. [14]
Article Evaluation edit
Botany: The Botany wikipedia article had a great introduction explaining a brief history of how botany has revolutionized over the years and some of the origins of the topic. Overall the article appeared to be unbiased as it had elements of plant study that is still being explored. There showed a large variety of modern botany uses including, plant community studies, economic uses, hormone experiments, and medicinal uses. There could be a bigger emphasis on the developing studies of how plants compare to other living creatures on this earth. The couple citations that I checked were used accurately and the links worked well. The sources I checked were primary scientific journals, or papers that outlined the experiment. The page was last updated in 2013 and has been peer reviewed on that year as well. The page is rated as a "good" article. It appears that over the progress of edits, the article had several technical terms removed to be able to avoid a clutter of excess information and vocabulary. It seems that more words need to be linked to other wikipedia pages to explain some more technical terminologies. Wikipedia discuses the topic from several different wider angles, while our class has been primarily focused on specific physiological properties, and even some technicalities of word usage. Overall, the article appears to be in good condition, but may be in need of an update. Due to the fact that botany is such a broad topic, the page does a good job in pointing to some of the more important points that can be further cleared up in linked pages.
Plant Physiology: The Physiology wikipedia article appeared somewhat lackluster for the variety physiological processes that occur within a plant. For this reason, I believe that the article should include some more recent focuses of plant physiology studies. I also feel that it should add some more detail to some of the subtopics already mentioned. In particular, I feel that more detail should be added to the plant disease physiology. The article gives very broad examples as to how plant disease is studied, but lacked details to add further to how the plant went about in having an immune system. It would also be better to see some specific examples of differences between plant physiology and animal physiology. In checking some of the sources, the links appeared up to date, but needs more sources to have basis of information come from. The lack of sources gives less confidence as to how much to trust the article. This is actually mentioned in the talk tab of the page. The talk page includes several different aspects of the page that need polishing. This includes more diagrams and graphs to further enrich the page information. The C-class rating shows that this page is in need of a lot of work and also the high class of importance shows that this page needs more attention. It appears that the light cycles and energy generating physiology details need to be included into the page. Overall, this page needs work and this class may be a great source for that change.
Notes edit
- ^ ANTHONY TREWAVAS; Aspects of Plant Intelligence. Ann Bot 2003; 92 (1): 1-20. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcg101
- ^ Shinozaki, Kazuo (2000). Molecular responses to dehydration and low temperature: differences and cross-talk between two stress signaling pathways. Current Opinion in Plant Biology 2000,3:217-223.
- ^ McCully, M (1999). "ROOTS IN SOIL: Unearthing the complexities of roots and Their Rhizospheres". Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology, 50:695-718.
- ^ Trewavas, A (2014). Plant Behaviour and Intelligence. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1, 95-96.
- ^ Paco Calvo Garzón, Fred Keijzer (2011). "Adaptive Behavior". Vol 19, Issue 3, pp. 155 - 171.
- ^ Trewavas, A (2014). Plant Behaviour and Intelligence. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1, 140.
- ^ Trewavas, A (2014). Plant Behaviour and Intelligence. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1, 95-96.
- ^ Trewavas, A (2014). Plant Behaviour and Intelligence. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1, 96.
- ^ ANTHONY TREWAVAS; Aspects of Plant Intelligence. Ann Bot 2003; 92 (1): 1-20. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcg101
- ^ Trewavas, A (2014). Plant Behaviour and Intelligence. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1, 140.
- ^ McCully, M (1999). "ROOTS IN SOIL: Unearthing the complexities of roots and Their Rhizospheres". Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology, 50:695-718.
- ^ Lux A, Rost TL. Plant root research: the past, the present and the future. Annals of Botany. 2012;110:201–204.
- ^ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1541-4337.12184/full
- ^ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2634130/