The One
23rd September 2013, 21:28
If you're an insect...
But now that we have established that tomatoes wont kill you necessarily (unless you're an insect of you have a deadly allergy) read on..
Plants, so lush and green... delicious juicy fruits .. so great.. right?
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/rd523d9d74.jpg
Plants actually have some nasty... qualities. Sophisticated torture mechanisms and some very interesting allies.
For example the Pelargonium family of flowers commonly known as storkbills - these flowers produce a chemical compound in their petals to defend themselves from beetles.
When the beetle attacks or tries to consume any of the flower, it is met with a chemical defense which later paralyzes it completely.
All though the chemical loses its strength after a certain amount of time, the beetle still doesn't quite make a lucky escape - by then it would have been taken away as prey by another predatory insect.
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/ok523d9d74.jpg
The tomato by far is one of the evilest in its empire, it doesnt only call to wasps, or bats ... according to scientist the tomato actually releases different sets of chemicals based on the herbivore that is ''attacking'' it.
It won't just summon any other insects in the area, it will summon the particular natural enemy of the herbivore. It has many unique chemical compounds for each.
Scientists believe that plants can sense the digestive substances that the invading insects have in their oral secretions. Different bug drool sets off different chemical alarms, which call out to specific species of vicious wasps or mites or nematodes, whatever the job requires.
Aside from the release/use of chemicals other flowering plants and trees deter insects by mimicking the eggs of insects, making a physical structure/print on their leaves that resembles eggs. Thus tricking insects from using their leaves/fruit as a breeding ground.
Other plant defenses include forming thorns, smoothness (making it difficult for animals to climb for fruit or leaves) , the production of sap to trap insects and also hairs on the leaves that often contain irritants or poisons.
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/ar523d9d75.jpg
Now we know why this little guy was always hungry...
He probably wasnt pollinating any thing.
Which brings us to the fig tree and the fig wasp, which cannot thrive with out, and niether can the fig wasp live with out, in exchange for housing, the fig wasp has to pollinate the fig tree ~ fair enough? However if a the wasp doesnt pollinate the tree, the fig will instantly kill the wasp and its larvae.
Researchers experimented with this by introducing non-productive wasps (that is, wasps that weren't carrying pollen) to fig fruit. The bugs went about their business and laid eggs. However, most of the time the unpollenated fruit was dropped early, killing the wasp larvae within.
That's right -- the fig tree was aborting the young of wasps that did not pollinate them. Somehow, the plant knows when there are insects in its individual fruit, and it also knows if they brought pollen with them. And if they don't, then they get evicted ... street style.
Interestingly, these same chemicals and defenses plants use have been beneficial in the medical fields, many currently available pharmaceuticals are derived from the secondary metabolites plants use to protect themselves from herbivores, including opium, aspirin, coc aine, and atropine.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/06/990622055654.htm
But now that we have established that tomatoes wont kill you necessarily (unless you're an insect of you have a deadly allergy) read on..
Plants, so lush and green... delicious juicy fruits .. so great.. right?
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/rd523d9d74.jpg
Plants actually have some nasty... qualities. Sophisticated torture mechanisms and some very interesting allies.
For example the Pelargonium family of flowers commonly known as storkbills - these flowers produce a chemical compound in their petals to defend themselves from beetles.
When the beetle attacks or tries to consume any of the flower, it is met with a chemical defense which later paralyzes it completely.
All though the chemical loses its strength after a certain amount of time, the beetle still doesn't quite make a lucky escape - by then it would have been taken away as prey by another predatory insect.
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/ok523d9d74.jpg
The tomato by far is one of the evilest in its empire, it doesnt only call to wasps, or bats ... according to scientist the tomato actually releases different sets of chemicals based on the herbivore that is ''attacking'' it.
It won't just summon any other insects in the area, it will summon the particular natural enemy of the herbivore. It has many unique chemical compounds for each.
Scientists believe that plants can sense the digestive substances that the invading insects have in their oral secretions. Different bug drool sets off different chemical alarms, which call out to specific species of vicious wasps or mites or nematodes, whatever the job requires.
Aside from the release/use of chemicals other flowering plants and trees deter insects by mimicking the eggs of insects, making a physical structure/print on their leaves that resembles eggs. Thus tricking insects from using their leaves/fruit as a breeding ground.
Other plant defenses include forming thorns, smoothness (making it difficult for animals to climb for fruit or leaves) , the production of sap to trap insects and also hairs on the leaves that often contain irritants or poisons.
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/ar523d9d75.jpg
Now we know why this little guy was always hungry...
He probably wasnt pollinating any thing.
Which brings us to the fig tree and the fig wasp, which cannot thrive with out, and niether can the fig wasp live with out, in exchange for housing, the fig wasp has to pollinate the fig tree ~ fair enough? However if a the wasp doesnt pollinate the tree, the fig will instantly kill the wasp and its larvae.
Researchers experimented with this by introducing non-productive wasps (that is, wasps that weren't carrying pollen) to fig fruit. The bugs went about their business and laid eggs. However, most of the time the unpollenated fruit was dropped early, killing the wasp larvae within.
That's right -- the fig tree was aborting the young of wasps that did not pollinate them. Somehow, the plant knows when there are insects in its individual fruit, and it also knows if they brought pollen with them. And if they don't, then they get evicted ... street style.
Interestingly, these same chemicals and defenses plants use have been beneficial in the medical fields, many currently available pharmaceuticals are derived from the secondary metabolites plants use to protect themselves from herbivores, including opium, aspirin, coc aine, and atropine.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/06/990622055654.htm