On the same basis, it can be argued that plants also feel pain. They, too, recoil from detrimental sensations. Research by Alan Bown of Brock University in Canada showed that, ten seconds after an insect crawls on to a leaf, the plant secretes a paralysing agent (called gamma aminobutyric acid) that attacks the intruder's nervous system. Bown explained that plants distinguish between harmless contact from raindrops and the action of caterpillar feet. Not only that, but having been attacked by insects, plants repair their wounds by releasing the chemical superoxide, which helps to prevent infection.
This is not new: botanists have known for a long time that plants have defensive mecha...

On the same basis, it can be argued that plants also feel pain. They, too, recoil from detrimental sensations. Research by Alan Bown of Brock University in Canada showed that, ten seconds after an insect crawls on to a leaf, the plant secretes a paralysing agent (called gamma aminobutyric acid) that attacks the intruder's nervous system. Bown explained that plants distinguish between harmless contact from raindrops and the action of caterpillar feet. Not only that, but having been attacked by insects, plants repair their wounds by releasing the chemical superoxide, which helps to prevent infection.
This is not new: botanists have known for a long time that plants have defensive mechanisms. But in June 2002, researchers in Bonn found that plants emit ethylene gas when under attack. The scientists also attached microphones to the vegetation and observed that whereas the plants normally emitted a bubbling sound, under attack from insects, they gave off piercing screeches. Scientists at the Baylor University Medical Centre in Dallas have measured the chemical response of plants to being pulled up, peeled, cooked and eaten. The results, said Professor Barry Lindzer, showed that "plants initiate a massive hormone and chemical barrage internally when they suffer any kind of injury". He continued: "This response is akin to the nerve response and endorphin release when an animal is injured. We cannot ignore the similarities." Scientists from Michigan State University say that plants have a rudimentary nerve structure that allows them to feel pain. "The nervous system is undeveloped, but it is there." . . .

I believe we learn more about this strange world we live in every day, if we are willing to. More on the story above here:

fruits & vegetables can either fall from the plant or tree and rot, or become part of the vegan's food chain.

With all due respect to vegans etc, the same could in theory be said, that instead of just dying and rotting, animals just become part of the carnivour's food chain.

If a plant truly does feel pain, then ripping a screaming carrot up by hair and removing is skin and then boiling it (ha ha, sounds funny) is no more barbaric than slaughtering an animal for sustenance.

I believe that either God or evolution or whatever one may believe in, gave carnivours canine teeth for a reason. To eat meat. (Including humans) Their physiology has evolved/been created to do j...

fruits & vegetables can either fall from the plant or tree and rot, or become part of the vegan's food chain.

With all due respect to vegans etc, the same could in theory be said, that instead of just dying and rotting, animals just become part of the carnivour's food chain.

If a plant truly does feel pain, then ripping a screaming carrot up by hair and removing is skin and then boiling it (ha ha, sounds funny) is no more barbaric than slaughtering an animal for sustenance.

I believe that either God or evolution or whatever one may believe in, gave carnivours canine teeth for a reason. To eat meat. (Including humans) Their physiology has evolved/been created to do just that. That is their place in the global food chain. If no animals killed and ate other animals, imagine what the world would be like, filled with aging, perhaps wounded or diseased animals all over the place and rotting corpses everywhere when they eventually died of old age.

Ha ha..this whole comment sounds so funny, but the exaggeration is just to highlight the point I can see some people could make.

The whole world of plants and animals is based on "eat, or be eaten". It is so for ALL living things. I think we have no choice but to accept that life can seem cruel, but we can't feel bad about eating meat, just as little as we should feel bad about eating plants. (poor carrots! *LOL*) It's just the way of the world. I mean, we have to eat something

That being said, I have gained a new respect for the secret lives of plants. Thank you so much Napster for your comments, very exciting info! Very interesting indeed! .

Great clip adamc. I'm still in the process of reading the book "The Secret Life of Plants" which some of the info you clipped came from. One of the thoughts to be gleaned from from a examination of this subject is that we are all more connected at a deeper level than once thought. Consciousness brings with it responsibility. How do we use what we become aware of. If we realize what we are doing causes the opposite of what we intended certainly we need to consider some alternative action if we are to continue in a harmonious relationship. I believe experiments regarding plants having feelings are ways for us to gain insight into universal consciousness that the way we think affects everyt...

Great clip adamc. I'm still in the process of reading the book "The Secret Life of Plants" which some of the info you clipped came from. One of the thoughts to be gleaned from from a examination of this subject is that we are all more connected at a deeper level than once thought. Consciousness brings with it responsibility. How do we use what we become aware of. If we realize what we are doing causes the opposite of what we intended certainly we need to consider some alternative action if we are to continue in a harmonious relationship. I believe experiments regarding plants having feelings are ways for us to gain insight into universal consciousness that the way we think affects everything around us. The Hermetics said "Everything is Mind". The whole universe is thought with matter as the lowest octave/level. It's interesting that one of the experiments done on plants showed that they were not afraid/didn't show stress when they were eaten in love. It was INTENT that determined the stress on the plant. In conclusion for myself I've grown in awareness of my impact on the world around me & its impact on me & intend through choice to respect others in their journey of self discovery.

Let's just say plants did have "feelings"...Vegans would starve to death, there would be such thing as plant cruelty like animal cruelty(there would be plant cruelty officers reporting on plant abuse(animalprecinct & plantprecinct)), you could tell if your plant is happy, sad, confused, gloomy, depressed or just not having a good day, plants could take prescription drugs like anti-depressants if your plant is depressed(but when your not looking the plant might attempt suicide with a knife), if your plant has ADHD you can give it Ritalin, and if your plant has to have surgery done it will be injected with morphine.

"'A plant sits and rots, but I don't know if a animal sits and rots'...maybe....

Let's just say plants did have "feelings"...Vegans would starve to death, there would be such thing as plant cruelty like animal cruelty(there would be plant cruelty officers reporting on plant abuse(animalprecinct & plantprecinct)), you could tell if your plant is happy, sad, confused, gloomy, depressed or just not having a good day, plants could take prescription drugs like anti-depressants if your plant is depressed(but when your not looking the plant might attempt suicide with a knife), if your plant has ADHD you can give it Ritalin, and if your plant has to have surgery done it will be injected with morphine.

"'A plant sits and rots, but I don't know if a animal sits and rots'...maybe...(I suppose it would be okay if you ate that animal)"