Plant Signaling & Behavior ( IF 2.9 ) Pub Date : 2021-06-12 , DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2021.1927562 Sergio Miguel-Tomé 1 , Rodolfo R Llinás 2
ABSTRACT
Most textbook definitions recognize only animals as having nervous systems. However, for the past couple decades, botanists have been meticulously studying long-distance signaling systems in plants, and some researchers have stated that plants have a simple nervous system. Thus, an academic conflict has emerged between those who defend and those who deny the existence of a nervous system in plants. This article analyses that debate, and we propose an alternative to answering yes or no: broadening the definition of a nervous system to include plants. We claim that a definition broader than the current one, which is based only on a phylogenetic viewpoint, would be helpful in obtaining a deeper understanding of how evolution has driven the features of signal generation, transmission and processing in multicellular beings. Also, we propose two possible definitions and exemplify how broader a definition allows for new viewpoints on the evolution of plants, animals and the nervous system.
中文翻译:
扩大神经系统的定义以更好地理解植物和动物的进化
摘要
大多数教科书的定义只承认动物有神经系统。然而,在过去的几十年里,植物学家一直在仔细研究植物中的长距离信号系统,一些研究人员表示植物有一个简单的神经系统。因此,捍卫植物神经系统的人和否认植物神经系统存在的人之间出现了学术冲突。本文分析了这场争论,并提出了回答是或否的替代方案:扩大神经系统的定义以包括植物。我们声称,比当前仅基于系统发育观点的定义更广泛的定义将有助于更深入地了解进化如何驱动多细胞生物中信号生成、传输和处理的特征。此外,我们提出了两种可能的定义,并举例说明了更广泛的定义如何允许对植物、动物和神经系统的进化提出新的观点。