Scientists solve a thorny problem

"Why do plants have thorns?" is an easy question: The thorns help protect against hungry animals that like to munch on the plants. "Where do thorns come from?" is a more complicated question—but Yale scientists have found ...

Mint scent inhibits the growth of weeds

Some plants are very successful in the competition for space, nutrients, and water. They inhibit the growth of their competitors by chemical signals that cause cells of the neighboring plant to die. Scientists of the Botanical ...

Study finds signal cascade that keeps plant stem cells active

Pools of stem cells in the apical meristems of plants are key to continued growth and development. Understanding how these stem cells are maintained and balanced against differentiated cells could lead to methods for increasing ...

Unexpected insights into the dynamic structure of mitochondria

As power plants and energy stores, mitochondria are essential components of almost all cells in plants, fungi and animals. Until now, it has been assumed that these functions underlie a static structure of mitochondrial membranes. ...

Herringbone pattern in plant cell walls critical to cell growth

Plant cells tend to grow longer instead of wider due to the alignment of the many layers of cellulose that make up their cell walls, according to a new study that may have implications for biofuels research. The study, which ...

Getting to the root of plant survival

When facing a volatile climate, nature searches for a way to survive. For plants, that often means spreading new roots deeper and wider in search of water, particularly in times of drought. While scientists have recognized ...

The tips of a plant design its whole shape

Plants grow throughout their entire life. This is due to a small structure at the tip of the plant's shoots known as the meristem. This is the control center for the maintenance of stem cells—which can be converted into ...

page 5 from 16