Biologists have captured the moment a plant is breathing. The close-up video was captured by experts from the University of California San Diego while researching with a National Service Foundation grant.
In the video, plants can be seen using their stomata, which are known as the 'mouths of plants', to inhale carbon dioxide. Clearly exposed, stomata open and close slowly.
This research also provides additional knowledge and information to overcome the problem of crop failure which is at risk of the threat of hunger in the world.
"Researchers hope that leveraging this mechanism could lead to engineering the efficiency of plant water use and carbon intake in the future, which is important as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere continues to rise," said National Science Foundation spokesman Jared Dashoff. , Sunday (29/1/2023).
"When the stomata are open, the inside of the plant is exposed to the elements, and water from the plant is lost to the ambient air, which can dry it out. Plants, therefore, must balance carbon dioxide intake with water vapor loss by controlling how long the stomata remain open," explained Dashoff.
Research leader Julian Schroeder added: "Response to change is critical for plant growth and regulates how efficiently plants use water. Moreover, now there is a high issue of drought and increasing the temperature of the Earth. As climate changes, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and increasing temperature affect the balance between carbon dioxide inflow and water vapor loss through the stomata.
If crops, especially crops like wheat, rice and maize, cannot reach a new balance, they risk drying out. That means farmers are at risk of crop failure and more people around the world are at risk of starvation.
