研究發現 植物可能擁有控制何時發芽的'大腦'

Plants are much smarter than we give them credit for and even have tiny brains that decide the right moment to germinate, according to a new study.

一項最新研究發現，植物要比我們想象中的聰明多，它們擁有小型的大腦，可以控制發芽的時間。

Researchers have found a group of cells function as a 'brain' for plant embryos which can predict the weather and change their behaviour accordingly.

研究人員發現，植物中的一組細胞具有植物胚胎“大腦”的作用，能夠評估環境條件並決定種子何時發芽。

Previous studies have shown plants can hunt out water and even learn from bad experiences, just like animals.

此前的研究表明，植物能夠像動物那樣尋找水源，甚至還擁有從失敗的經驗中學習的能力。

A plant's decision about when to germinate is one of the most important it will make during its life.

對於一顆植物而言，發芽時間是其一生中最爲重要的決定之一。

Too soon, and the plant may be damaged by harsh winter conditions; too late, and it may be out-competed by other, more precocious plants.

發芽時間過早，植物會遭到嚴冬的傷害；發芽時間太晚，有可能競爭不過其他發芽較早的植物。

In a study published in the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), scientists from the University of Birmingham have shown that a small group of cells within the plant embryo operate in a similar way to the human brain.

《國家科學院學報》刊登的一項研究表明，伯明翰大學的科學家們證明植物胚胎內這一小組細胞的運轉方式類似於人類的大腦。

The 'decision-making centre' in a plant called Arabidopsis, or thale cress, contains two types of cell - one that promotes seed dormancy, and one that promotes germination.

植物的這一“決策中心”名爲阿拉伯芥（又稱擬南芥），共包含兩種細胞：一種能促進種子休眠，另一種則可以促進種子發芽。

These two groups of cells communicate with each other by moving hormones, a similar mechanism to that used by our own brains when we decide whether or not to move.

這兩種細胞通過移動的荷爾蒙互相交流，與人類大腦在決定是否採取行動時的機制相類似。