Nervous Autotrophs

[foursixand2]

I do not believe there are any autotrophs with nervous systems, but is there any reason why they couldnt develop them? or would it be possible to stimulate, or genetically fabricate such a mutation? The reason i wonder is, because if it is possible, would not autotrophs quickly become the most intelligent species, surpassing us by far? for example in the state i live in within this land so called The United States, lives the largest known organism (by weight, not volume, if i recall the trophy for volume is for a fungus in oregon) named Pando, a single male Quaking Aspen of 6615 tons. As mobile heterotrophs we are restricted to a brain we can carry in our skulls without unreasonable effort exerted. If Pando were capable of growing a brain he would have no such limitations. Not to mention what kind of wisdom Pando may have aquired given his age of 80,000 yrs. Pando would consider us as mentally limited as we might regard aphids.

[jimmydasaint]

Depends on what you mean by a nervous system? Do you mean a human nervous system? Plants appear to have excellent 'sensory' systems to sense gravity (geotropism) and light (phototropism). http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/content/abstract/60/5/736

 

There is also fine control of germination or flowering responses to periods of light and darkness mediated by phytochromes. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=157529

 

Plants also have immune systems recognising foreign antigens

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14616074

 

In summary, although I have not given you primary references, plants do well at sensing important factors vital for life already. But it is an interesting thought if they start to think...

Edited August 14, 2008 by jimmydasaint
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