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Originally Posted by BioSci
Well, I think that we can quite safely say that without a brain and nerves (or any other anatomical structures capable of sensing or processing such information) that organisms like plants are not conscious. Although we do not fully understand all aspects of how brains work, we certainly know enough to be sure that without one, the organism is incapable of thought or consciousness. To be blunt, such a conclusion is "a no-brainer".  |
Then we can quite safely say that without a heart and lungs (or any other anatomical structures capable of exchanging oxygen for CO2) that organisms like plants do not breath. Although we do not fully understand all aspects of how hearts and lungs work, we certainly know enough to be sure that without these, the organism is incapable of respiration. To be blunt, such a conclusion is "a no-brainer"
Hopefully everyone can see the speciousness of such an argument when framed in a biological process that is understood. Plants breath when the sun goes down, same as animals, but at a much slower rate.
On an evolutionary timescale, plants evolved the means to breath before animals did. What animals did with the invention of the heart and lung was to supercharge the respiration process. Supercharging respiration provides for locomotion, etc.
The same argument can be made with regards to awareness: plants probably invented it eons ago, before animals even existed, and animals have super-charged the process with nerves and brains.
As stated above, plant awareness is supposition at this time, but the notion is very likely to be born out by scientific investigation at some point, just as it has been positively shown that plants respire.