5 ms·
Well we don't really have words to describe plant behavior. I agree, we can't view plants through an animalian lense, but at the same time we have to use the wo
by nkrisc 7y ago
Well we don't really have words to describe plant behavior. I agree, we can't view plants through an animalian lense, but at the same time we have to use the words we have to discuss them. I think it's fair to say plant "panic" is different than animal "panic" but from what I read, panic seems to be the closest analogue.
- phkahler 7y agoIs our immune response to a pathogen considered panic? I think not.
- jadell 7y agoA chemical reaction that sets of a string of defensive protection reactions and behaviors? Sounds quite like panic to me. It's basically "fight or flight" for plants except plants can't do the "flight" part.
- narag 7y agoPanic is not the same as fear. Panic (insert here mythological reference to god Pan) is a kind of fear that causes uncontrolled, irrational and often counterproductive behaviour. Is that the case?
- jcranberry 7y ago'uncontrolled and irrational' is only a bad thing in the context of human rationality and self control. plants obviously do not have such a thing--all their actions are primal and unmoderated. So panic for a plant would probably mean something like an immediate response to adverse stimuli, with an immediate and short-term goal of self-preservation.
- lonelappde 7y ago"panic" means to react in a counterproductive way because fear overwhelms. It's different from a mere adrenal response that has short term gain at long term risk. Adrenaline makes you jump higher. Panic makes you jump off a cliff.