Charles Darwin and the Plant Root Apex: Closing a Gap in Living Systems Theory as Applied to Plants - Communication in Plants: Neuronal Aspects of Plant Life - page 46

analysis. In particular, it was difficult to discover correspondences between
the subsystems which the theory suggested were involved in information
processing and any known processes, or plant structures. The question
is whether, in the light of new knowledge and the possible existence of

Ta b l e 3 . 2 . Subsystems which process information at four levels of organisation that involve
plant organisms

Subsystem Level

Cell Organ Organism Group

s11. Input Plasma Statoliths Root cap, Sensitive plants

transducer membrane sites sensory hairs at the boundary

bearing AUX1 of the group

receptor
protein

s12. Internal Endocytotic Statenchyme ← -

transducer vesicles

s13. Channel Actin Plant synapses, Supersymplasm Vegetation

and net cytoskeleton, pit fields patchwork

plasmodesmata

s14. Timer Biochemical Cells perceptive Canopy and Autumn colours

oscillators, of external timers its properties

mitotic clock

s15. Decoder Release of auxin ← - -

s16. Associater Crosstalk Cells with Organs that -

molecules inductive respond to

properties acclimation

and aptation

s17. Memory Short-lived Hysteresis loops, ← -

gene regulators transcellular

electrical
impulses

s18. Decider Regulator genes, Transition Collective -

osmoregulators zone cells plant brain,

target cells

s19. Encoder Genes and Auxin response Organ Plants with

proteins involved processes aposematic open flowers

in hormone marking

response

S20. Output Plasma Cells which Attractor organs, Reproductive

transducer membrane export scent glands individual

and PIN information

proteins to motor cells

An arrow indicates that the subsystem is devolved to the next-lower organisational level