Electrostimulation of Aloe Vera L., Mimosa Pudica L. and Arabidopsis Thaliana: Propagation and Collision of Electrotonic Potentials

Abstract

Electrostimulation of electrochemical circuits in the Aloe vera, Mimosa pudica, or Arabidopsis thaliana induces electrotonic potentials propagating along their leaves. The instantaneous increase or decrease in voltage of stimulating potential generates a nonlinear response in plant tissue. Any electrostimulation that is not instantaneous, such as sinusoidal or triangular functions, results in linear responses in the form of small graded potentials. The amplitude and sign of electrotonic potentials depend on the polarity and the amplitude of applied voltage during electrostimulation. The duration of electrotonic potentials does not depend on the amplitude of stimulating voltage. Using the synchronous electrostimulation of a leaf from two different points, we studied the interaction between the electrotonic potentials. If electrical responses with positive fronts collided, they annihilated each other; if an electrical signal with positive front collided with an electrical signal having negative front, they amplified each other. The information gained from this study can be used to elucidate the intracellular and intercellular communications in the form of electrical signals within plants.