1The lecturer opened with a deceptively simple question about plants.
2Plants convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis.
3Chlorophyll, the pigment that makes leaves green, captures the light.
4Tiny pores on leaves take in carbon dioxide from the air.
5The process releases the oxygen that almost all life depends on.
6Roots do far more than anchor a plant in the ground.
7They trade sugars with fungi in exchange for minerals and water.
8Through these fungal networks, trees can even share resources.
9A struggling tree may receive nutrients from its healthier neighbours.
10When insects attack, many plants release warning chemicals into the air.
11Nearby plants detect the signal and ready their own defences.
12Some leaves produce bitter compounds that discourage hungry grazers.
13The sensitive plant folds its leaves within seconds of being touched.
14This rapid movement may startle insects or shake off rainwater.
15Plants also keep time, opening flowers at precise hours of the day.
16Their internal clocks respond to the changing length of daylight.
17Seeds can remain dormant for decades until conditions are right.
18Desert plants store water in thick stems and shed leaves to save it.
19Far from passive, plants sense and react to a complex world.
20The audience left the hall looking at houseplants with new respect.