Mexicali wrote:Well, plants do respond to various stimuli, but I'd argue that lacking a central nervous system, there's nowhere for them to "feel" pain. Additionally, animals (including humans) evolved a pain reaction as a way to avoid harm. A plant can't usually take any direct action to avoid that harm, so the pain reaction wouldn't function the same way. I think the 'distress' plants feel is more just something that primes them to deal with later damage, etc; not pain in the way we experience it, at least not meaningfully. Admittedly, I could be dead wrong here; I haven't gotten the impression that there's a consensus one way or another.
There are some plants that have evolved certain attributes to prevent themselves from being harmed... toxic sap, prickly leaves, distasteful hairy exteriors, spines....
But I somehow doubt this was a conscious decision on the part of the plant, thinking "hah! I'll show you! I'll grow nasty spines, or taste really disgusting! that'll larn ya!!"
Lettuce is evolved and adapted(by humans) from the dandelion.
Poptatoes belong to the same botanical group as deadly nightshade.
Many of the foods we use today, are adapted from plants that in their original state we would have veered away from.
Much medication comes from plants, aspirin and digitalis to name but two....
This is how we live constructively amongst our little green chloro-friends....
just tossing something into the salad bowl....(Don't get me started on tomatoes!! )