Plants have a secret language that scientists are only now starting to decipher

Plants' Secret Language

Plants have a secret language that scientists are only now starting to decipher.

Signals from the plant cell wall help to orchestrate growth, reproduction and immune function.

Plant cell walls, such as in these root cells, not only act as physical containers but also contribute to important signalling processes.

Can harnessing this molecular cross talk help in creating better crops?

Author: Amber Dance, a freelance science journalist in the Los Angeles area.

Robert Hooke coined the term ‘cell’ in 1665, when he gazed through his microscope at a slice of cork, looking at the walls of dead cells.

Author's summary: Scientists decipher plant secret language.

Nature — 2025-10-28