Venus flytrap's snap may come from rapid cell wall softening, not water flow: study
Researchers found the trap’s outer cell walls soften by 30% to 40% in about one second, releasing stored stress and driving closure.
- On Thursday, researchers published a study in Science identifying the physical mechanism behind the Venus flytrap's snap, revealing rapid softening of outer cell walls drives the closure.
- For over a century, scientists including Charles Darwin believed water movement forced the trap shut, but researchers at Aix-Marseille University used high-speed imaging to disprove this long-standing theory.
- When an insect touches specialized trigger hairs twice, the plant's 'internal motor' drives the leaf across an instability threshold, sealing the trap shut in as little as one tenth of a second.
- Physicist Jeongeun Ryu suggested this mechanism could inspire soft robotic systems or adaptive materials that remain stable for long periods, then produce very rapid movements on demand.
- Plant physiologist Professor Shabala remains skeptical, citing alternative water transport theories that could explain the speed, while researchers acknowledge future studies must determine how the plant controls the softening.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Scientists unlock the secret behind the Venus flytrap's snap
Pity the poor fly that lands on a Venus flytrap. When the insect touches hair-like structures on this remarkable carnivorous plant, its trap snaps shut, dooming the victim to be digested over several days in secreted enzymes. Scientists have now found the physical mechanism behind this snapping action.
The poor flies that land on a carnivorous plant, called "Venus' trap", are part of a tragic fate. When the insect touches the structures similar to the hairs of this remarkable carnivorous plant, "the trap suddenly closes, condemning the victim to be digested within a few days by the enzymes secreted by the plant. Scientists in France have recently deciphered the physical mechanism behind this action of rapid closure, writes Agerpres, who quotes…
One of the great mysteries of the plant kingdom is how the carnivorous Venus flytrap can surprise small insects so rapidly with its snapping leaves. Researchers are now offering a part of the solution. They have discovered that the plant can relax cell walls in the blink of an eye. Remarkable, because until now we have only known this trick from plant growth, which is much slower.
Beatrice Daily Sun
Scientists unlock secret behind Venus flytrap
Pity the poor fly that lands on a Venus flytrap. When the insect touches hair-like structures on this remarkable carnivorous plant, its trap snaps shut, dooming the victim to be digested over several days in secreted enzymes. Scientists have now…
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