Venus Flytraps Snap Their Traps Shut in Less Than a Second. Scientists Say They've Discovered How the Predatory Plants Are So Fast

Article excerpt

Venus flytraps can snap their leaves shut in less than a second, a feat so explosive that scientists have long puzzled over the mechanism. Researchers now say they've cracked it: the walls of cells in the leaves' outer layer suddenly soften, allowing the structures to hinge closed with remarkable speed. This hydraulic-like snap happens faster than a blink, transforming the plant from predator at rest to predator in motion. The discovery, detailed in a new study, reveals how these carnivorous plants generate such rapid movement using only the pressure within their own cells.