• Question: Do plants have temperature systems like us.

    Asked by to Amelia, Clem, Izzy, Sarah on 18 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Isabel Webb

      Isabel Webb answered on 18 Mar 2014:

      All cells, like ours and like plants, are changed by temperatures. Low temperatures can slow down reactions and high temperatures can damage different biological molecules in the cell. Temperature also has effects on the shape of things, or the speed of movement of important chemicals – so we all have to be very careful.

      Its a good question though – because obviously if we get cold we put on a jumper or shiver, and if we get warm, we sweat. But plants don’t shiver, and they can’t put on a scarf and a hat – so what do they do? I always found this quite interesting at university.

      We don’t understand the whole system of plant temperature control yet, but we know they need one. They also sense temperature for other reasons, like knowing when to flower after the winter or release the seeds. We know that there is a pathway of genes that tell the cell to make changes – we can see the changes happening. But we only know a few of the genes involved, and there is a lot more to learn. Several research groups are investigating this, including with the help of computer models to predict what is happening. I’m sure one day we will understand this though – just like we understand what humans do.

    • Photo: Amelia Frizell-Armitage

      Amelia Frizell-Armitage answered on 18 Mar 2014:

      Plants are incredibly sensitive to temperature! Changes in environmental temperature change the rate of reactions happening in the plant’s cells, change how fast the plant is able to grow, and also when it flowers. Some plants are able to curl their leaves up into tiny balls when it gets too hot, and they are also able to close small pores in their leaves through which they breathe if it gets too hot in order to save water.

      However, the way plants sense temperature is not at all the same to us. We sense temperature using our nervous system, which tells our brain if it is hot or cold. Our brain can then tell us to sweat, shiver, or put on a jumper. Plants don’t have a brain or a nervous system so must be using a different way to sense the temperature.

      No one knows completely how plants sense temperature yet. Recently a group of scientists have found that plants may have ‘hot genes’ that only work when the temperature is high enough, and ‘cold genes’ that only work at cool temperatures. These genes tell the cell and plant how to behave, so the plant acts differently depending on what the temperature is and whether the hot or cold genes are working.

      There is still loads to find out about on this topic and will be an especially important thing to do research into as global warming happens. Maybe you can become a research scientist and do this yourself?

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