Could plants develop a brain to think?

Question

Also, how do plants know to grow in certain directions to get more sunlight?

Answer 1

Plants being at least half a billion years older than even the most primitive animal organisms, are in some ways more highly evolved than the animals we often place at the top of the evolutionary ladder - humans.

Plants are beyond needing a central brain to carry out basic functions - they have developed the ability to feed themselves (no need to roam), respire, reproduce, communicate with others of their species, attract allies and ward off predators. A distributed nervous system seems to serve them best, but the jury is still out and a centralized one may yet be found.

In animal nervous systems, receptors and sensory cells convey information to a central nervous system where the incoming info is processed and response (electrical and chemical via hormones/neurotransmitters) is generated to activate motor or gland cells and effect a response.

Similarly, plants have receptors and sensory cells that respond to environmental changes and respond via chemical messengers called hormones and are able to institute a response (such as growing or bending towards light). These are similar to neurotransmitters in animals. (1)  Even electrical response and plant "nerves" have been documented. (2)

Plant neurobiology is an emergent field. Google it for more info. Below is some info to get you started.

Answer 2

No, but if you talk to your plants in a loving manner then they'll respond to that and grow beautiful. Sounds crazy, but a lot of people have done it and it worked for them.

Answer 3

no they have no nervous system as such and what would they do with one, a brain would only be a hinderance to them, think about it a brain is used for motion in  alot of the things it does.

Answer 4

There is no reason they couldn't besides the reason that it wouldn't be selected for.  Plants don't really need brains.  They do grow toward the light which is know as phototropism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phototropis...

Answer 5

No. They don't need to think.

They can grow in the direction of sunlight because certain cells react in *darkness* to extend the plant towards the light. They are well designed, don't you think?