Question

Can plants feel pain?

Answer 1

The plants come under the category of a living organism and every living organism is observed to show a certain response towards their stimulus. However, they act and respond differently when they are under environmental stress.

Complete answer:
It’s been observed through various experiments that plants are sensitive to the stimulus. According to certain scientists, plants do feel pain but their response to it is in different ways. In the experiment of the touch-me-not plant, it is observed that it is sensitive to touch and thus represents memory and thus plants learn from experience. But whether the plants feel pain or not is still not known completely although they can feel the smallest touch. It is thought that the feeling of pain is a kind of defense mechanism which is observed by certain receptors which are absent in the case of plants.
Growth, reproduction, ability to sense the environment, and suitable response against something all are counted as unique features of living organisms. Some features like metabolism, ability to self-replicate, self-organize, interact and emergence can also be added to the list.
Let's learn to understand the characteristic of living organisms -

1. All living organisms grow- increase in mass and number is the characteristic of growth. Multicellular organisms grow by cell division. The Plants grow throughout their life through cell division while animals only grow up to a certain age. All the organisms whether unicellular or multicellular grow by cell division.
2. Metabolism- The living organism under certain chemical reactions in their body as they all are made of chemicals. The chemicals convert into one form to another and form different biomolecules with the help of the functioning of their body and the organ through certain metabolic reactions. This metabolism occurs in all plants, animals, and even microbes.
3. Sensitivity- The response of the individuals according to the stimulus present in their surroundings or environment is called sensitivity. The stimulus can be of different forms that include chemical, biological, or physical. This indicates that living organisms have sense organs whether they are plants or animals, or prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
4. Reproduction- The ability of an organism to produce new offspring.
5. Excretion- the ability of an individual to undergo a process of removal of waste products.
6. Movement- The ability of an individual to move depending upon their stimulus. In plants, movement depends upon the movement of the sun.

Note:
All living organisms whether in the present, past, and future share a common ancestor along with similar genetic material up to some extent that is linked with one another. In the case of humans, when a person is in a coma and is dependent upon the life-supporting machines which had become his heart and brain, then it is quite difficult to categorize the under living or non-living organisms.