Plants communicate with other organisms by releasing volatile organic compounds into their environment through their flowers, leaves, and roots. These signaling molecules attract pollinators, repel ...

Researchers who manipulate lignin, a molecular fiber that allows plants to grow tall and transport water, unexpectedly discovered its synthesis has more far-reaching effects on plant development than ...

Paco Calvo, a researcher at Spain’s University of Murcia, is on a mission. According to New Scientist, he’s attempting to build a solid scientific framework for understanding “plant neurobiology,” ...

Did you know that plants can talk to each other? It may sound like a concept straight out of science fiction, but scientific ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. Volatile compounds drifting on the breeze. Electrical ...

Plants release VOCs into the atmosphere when damaged by insects. Intact neighboring plants sense VOCs and activate pre-emptive defense responses against the insects. Saitama, Japan: Plants emit ...

When plants face stress, they activate a signaling cascade involving multiple molecules like hydrogen peroxide and plant hormones such as salicylic acid, leading to resistance or stress adaptation. It ...

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and the University of Kiel have provided experimental evidence showing that reducing plant species diversity alters plant chemical signals ...