This Remarkable Desert Plant Could Grow on Mars
The desert moss Syntrichia caninervis could be key to colonizing Mars due to its ability to survive extreme cold, radiation, and Mars-like conditions, potentially supporting…
Plants News
Plants are multicellular organisms in the kingdom Plantae that primarily use photosynthesis to convert sunlight into energy, with water and carbon dioxide as basic inputs, producing oxygen as a byproduct. This vast group includes a diverse range of life forms from towering trees and flowering plants to grasses, ferns, and mosses. Plants play a critical role in the Earth’s ecosystems; they are fundamental producers in the food chain, provide habitat and food for numerous species, and contribute to the biochemical and water cycles. Structurally, plants are composed of various organs such as roots, stems, leaves, and reproductive structures, each specialized for different functions such as nutrient uptake, support, photosynthesis, and reproduction. Beyond their ecological roles, plants are essential for human life, providing food, oxygen, medicine, and raw materials for various industries, while also offering aesthetic and cultural value.
Historic Loss: Rising Seas Completely Eradicated a U.S. Species for the First Time
The United States has witnessed the local extinction of the Key Largo tree cactus due to sea level rise, a first in the country. The…
Century-Old Biological Experiment Reveals Genetic Secrets of Important Crop
A long-term study since 1929 has revealed significant insights into barley’s evolution, showing its adaptation to different environments and the substantial impact of natural selection….
Discovery of 2,300-Year-Old Ancient Crops Challenges Modern Views on African Farming
Recent findings from Kenya’s Kakapel Rockshelter highlight the origins and development of ancient farming in East Africa, detailing the introduction of crops like cowpea and…
Beating the Freeze: Unlocking the Frost-Defying Secrets of the White Water Lily
Recent research has detailed the cold resistance mechanisms of the white water lily, offering insights into potential agricultural applications for improving crop resilience against cold…
A Natural Solution: Ethiopian Plants Show Anticancer Potential
Researchers from Georgia State University and its Perimeter College are actively gathering and analyzing samples of indigenous plants from Ethiopia to explore their disease-fighting capabilities….
Plants May Soon Provide Essential Nutrients Found in Breast Milk
Genetically engineered plants could soon produce human milk sugars, making infant formula healthier and more affordable. Approximately 75% of babies drink infant formula during their…
Scientists Use CRISPR To Turn Sugarcane Into a Super Crop
Researchers optimized sugarcane’s leaf angle using CRISPR gene editing, enhancing its sunlight absorption. Sugarcane ranks as the top crop globally in terms of biomass yield,…
Are Plants Smarter Than We Think? Cornell Scientists Uncover Form of Intelligence in Goldenrod Plants
New research shows that goldenrod plants demonstrate a form of intelligence by adapting their responses to herbivores based on the presence of neighboring plants and…
Scientists Reveal Millennia-Old Secrets of the World’s Most Popular Coffee Species
Research traces the genealogy of Arabica coffee, the most popular coffee species globally, across the Earth’s warming and cooling cycles over the past thousand years….
Scientists Reveal Origins of Plant-Ant Partnerships 135 Million Years Ago
Researchers discovered that ferns, like flowering plants, evolved nectaries to attract ant bodyguards around 135 million years ago. This evolutionary adaptation occurred as ferns moved…
Global Warming Is Changing Plants’ Pollination Patterns – and It Could Have Disastrous Consequences for Food Stability
A new study by researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Nevada, Reno, and Virginia Tech reveals that climate change has…
Ancient Roots, Modern Insights: New Study Reveals Age-Old Secrets of Camas Cultivation
Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered that Indigenous groups in the Pacific Northwest were selectively harvesting edible camas bulbs at their optimal growth stages…
Plants’ Secret Glow: NASA’s Key to Predicting Sudden Droughts
An unusual surge in plant productivity may signal impending severe soil water loss. NASA satellites track this subtle glow, offering early warnings of potential flash…
Key Carboxysome Discovery Brings Scientists a Giant Step Closer to Supercharged Photosynthesis
A team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has made significant progress in understanding carboxysomes, which are structures in certain bacteria…
Study Reveals That Organic Farming Changes Plants’ Genetic Code
A research project conducted at the University of Bonn reveals differences in the growth of plants under organic and conventional farming methods. A long-term study…
Tomato Genetics: A Unexpected Journey Into a “Parallel Universe”
In a new study recently published by Science Advances, Michigan State University researchers reveal an unexpected genetic revelation about the sugars found in “tomato tar,”…
Decoding Nature’s Design: Scientists Unveil Groundbreaking Tree of Life
The flowering plant tree of life, much like our own family tree, allows us to understand how different species are related to each other. The…