Sensitive Plant

Hi guys! Did you know that there’s a type of plant called the “sensitive plant” that can actually move and react to touch? It’s true! And it’s not just a small movement either – the leaves of the sensitive plant can move so quickly that you can actually see them in action!

So how do they do it? Well, the sensitive plant has tiny hairs on its leaves that are incredibly sensitive to touch. When something brushes against the plant, these hairs send a signal to the plant’s cells, which then release a burst of potassium ions. This burst of ions causes the cells in the leaf to lose water, which makes the leaf droop or fold up.

It’s a bit like what happens when you squeeze a water balloon – the water moves away from the pressure and the balloon gets smaller. In the same way, the sensitive plant’s cells lose water and the leaf folds up to protect itself from the perceived threat.

But here’s the coolest part: the sensitive plant can actually “remember” when it’s been touched before! If you touch the plant once and then come back later, it will remember the previous touch and be less sensitive to the second touch. It’s like the plant has its own memory system!

So if you ever come across a sensitive plant, give it a gentle touch, watch it react and tell about your experience to your 5 Steps Academy friends. And remember, just like the sensitive plant, we can all react to the world around us in our own unique ways. We just need to find what makes us “sensitive” and let ourselves respond to it!