Page 110 - Photosynthesis: The Green Miracle

Adnan Oktar

In an experiment investigating plants’ biological clocks, plants were ob-
served with an infra-red camera over 24 hours. An intense cellulose circu-
lation was observed in the morning (below), in the afternoon this circula-
tion decreased and growth came to an almost complete stop (above).

a new enzyme known as apyrase, found on the root surface, which is ca-
pable of tasting the ATP (adenosine triphosphate) produced by micro-or-
ganisms such as fungi in the soil. The ATP molecule is a short-term ener-

gy reserve that is ever ready in nature. Apyrase permits the plant to ab-
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sorb ATP and turn it into phosphate nutrients. The way that plants col-
lect and use extracellular ATP is a newly discovered miracle.
Like taste, the sense of touch is another perception frequently en-
countered in plants. Carnivorous plants such as the Venus fly trap
(Dionaea muscipula) immediately trap the insects that land on them. The
mimosa plant (Mimosa pudica) can lower its thin leaflets at even the slight-

est touch. Climbing plants such as peas and beans wind their sprouts
around solid supports, thanks to their sensitive sense of touch. Latest re-
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search has shown that nearly all plants possess this sense of touch, which
they generally use against strong winds that could seriously damage their
leaves. Plants exposed to the wind react by hardening their tissues and
thus avoid being broken by it.

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