Can Plants Get Cancer? How to Save Them
09.08.2024 - 06:20
/ balconygardenweb.com
/ Editorial Team
The word “cancer” really puts the darkest thoughts in our minds! Amongst humans and animals, it is a truly devastating condition marked by invasive cell growth and quite a grim prognosis. But can plants get cancer, and do they suffer alike? Let’s investigate.
Yes, plants do get cancer, but it is different! How? To understand what happens with plants, let’s first look at how cancer works. In both plant and animal cells, DNA mutations can cause cells to divide and multiply rapidly and uncontrollably, leading to what we call cancer. In animals, these affected cells can spread throughout the body, impairing multiple organ systems and their functions.
Now, plant cancer doesn’t look the same as in humans and animals. Their cells become disorganized and start dividing rampantly, usually because of bacterial, viral, or fungal infections or even due to structural damage.
However, plant cells have walls that keep them from getting too big or spreading all over (metastasizing) as animal cancer cells do, which is what kills! Also, plants can still survive even if a tumor destroys one part of them, such as a few leaves or a stem. But it isn’t the same with humans and animals since we can’t survive without a brain or liver!
Plant tumors can still seriously mess with normal functions and growth. So, let’s take a look at different types and how to spot them.
Now that we’ve explored the ifs and hows of whether plants can get cancer let’s see what these tumors are. Often, pathogens such as fungi and viruses cause infections that upset plant hormone levels and cause abnormal cell division. Here are the most common types of plant tumors and ways to identify them.
Galls are distorted, beady swellings that appear on roots, stems, and leaves and are