研究发现 植物可能拥有控制何时发芽的'大脑'

Plants are much smarter than we give them credit for and even have tiny brains that decide the right moment to germinate, according to a new study.

一项最新研究发现，植物要比我们想象中的聪明多，它们拥有小型的大脑，可以控制发芽的时间。

Researchers have found a group of cells function as a 'brain' for plant embryos which can predict the weather and change their behaviour accordingly.

研究人员发现，植物中的一组细胞具有植物胚胎“大脑”的作用，能够评估环境条件并决定种子何时发芽。

Previous studies have shown plants can hunt out water and even learn from bad experiences, just like animals.

此前的研究表明，植物能够像动物那样寻找水源，甚至还拥有从失败的经验中学习的能力。

A plant's decision about when to germinate is one of the most important it will make during its life.

对于一颗植物而言，发芽时间是其一生中最为重要的决定之一。

Too soon, and the plant may be damaged by harsh winter conditions; too late, and it may be out-competed by other, more precocious plants.

发芽时间过早，植物会遭到严冬的伤害；发芽时间太晚，有可能竞争不过其他发芽较早的植物。

In a study published in the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), scientists from the University of Birmingham have shown that a small group of cells within the plant embryo operate in a similar way to the human brain.

《国家科学院学报》刊登的一项研究表明，伯明翰大学的科学家们证明植物胚胎内这一小组细胞的运转方式类似于人类的大脑。

The 'decision-making centre' in a plant called Arabidopsis, or thale cress, contains two types of cell - one that promotes seed dormancy, and one that promotes germination.

植物的这一“决策中心”名为阿拉伯芥（又称拟南芥），共包含两种细胞：一种能促进种子休眠，另一种则可以促进种子发芽。

These two groups of cells communicate with each other by moving hormones, a similar mechanism to that used by our own brains when we decide whether or not to move.

这两种细胞通过移动的荷尔蒙互相交流，与人类大脑在决定是否采取行动时的机制相类似。