Why does the Venus flytrap move, and will a Venus flytrap die if it doesn't eat insects? The moving video is very satisfying

1. Video of a Venus flytrap eating insects

2. Why does the Venus flytrap move? Overall coordination and cooperation

If you want to know why the Venus flytrap moves, after understanding the whole process, you will definitely be shocked, because it is the result of overall coordination and cooperation. First, it receives the insect-catching signal, then the cells release electric current, and finally the current spreads throughout the entire trap, and the trap closes. Simply put, that is how it works. The details are as follows:

Trigger hairs are a very important part of the Venus flytrap. Although they are not the place that sends out the insect-catching signal, their base has a swollen part that contains a group of sensory cells. When an insect pushes the trigger hair, the cytoplasm in its base is compressed, thereby sending out a weak electric current to notify all the cells on the trap.

After that, the current quickly spreads throughout the entire trap, so triggering the trap to close does not require touching the same trigger hair. As long as any two trigger hairs in the same trap send out current, the closing movement can be triggered. Of course, the current sent out by the trigger hairs only affects the trap it is on and will not interfere with the operation of other traps on the same plant.

As shown in the picture above, before being stimulated, the trap is open at an angle of 60 degrees. When an insect stimulates it, the trap closes around its leaf veins as the axis. Of course, this closure is related to the contraction of the cells on the trap. When the cells on the trap receive the current sent by the sensory cells, the vacuoles in the cells on its inner side quickly lose water and contract, causing the trap to bend inward and thus close.

Conditions for the Venus flytrap trap to close

However, this closing process of the Venus flytrap is limited: it will close only when an insect touches two trigger hairs, or when any one trigger hair is touched twice. Moreover, if the interval between the two touches is within 20 to 30 seconds, it can close; if it exceeds this period, a third successful stimulation is needed for it to close. Why does the Venus flytrap move? After reading this, everyone should understand. The whole process cooperates really perfectly!

3. Will a Venus flytrap die if it doesn't eat insects?

About this question, it is actually very simple: a Venus flytrap will not die if it doesn't eat insects, because the Venus flytrap does not obtain its nutrients entirely by eating insects. It mainly relies on its root system to absorb nutrients to provide for growth, and this is the key point. As long as the potting soil is fertile and has sufficient nutrients, it can continuously provide nutrients to the Venus flytrap to maintain its normal growth. In addition, everyone can also apply fertilizer appropriately according to the Venus flytrap fertilization methods.

What are the characteristics of the Venus flytrap, and will the Venus flytrap hurt people? The traps are large but will not harm people

When it comes to the Venus flytrap, what everyone remembers most is certainly its strange large traps, which not only move but also eat insects, especially with excellent effect against flies. However, the traps that can eat insects also make many people wonder: will the Venus flytrap hurt people? What are the characteristics of the Venus flytrap? Here, the editor will explain it for everyone.

1. Characteristics of the Venus flytrap

Before answering the question of whether the Venus flytrap can hurt people, we must know the characteristics of the Venus flytrap. It is understood that the Venus flytrap has complete roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds, among which the leaves are the most special. They have the function of catching insects, especially the obvious trigger hairs and the red stalkless glands, which look like a bloody mouth with bared fangs and claws.

The leaves of the Venus flytrap

When talking about the characteristics of the Venus flytrap, one naturally cannot avoid its large traps, and these are actually the leaves of the Venus flytrap. The other parts that look like leaves are only false leaves. The upper surface of the Venus flytrap leaf is distributed with many stalkless glands, some red and some orange. The closer to the leaf veins, the fewer the stalkless glands. This part mainly secretes digestive fluid, and it is the part used to break down insects or absorb nutrients from insects.

The traps of the Venus flytrap have tooth-like trigger hairs that look like claws. Especially when the trap closes, those trigger hairs completely cut off the insect's chance to escape. Moreover, the base of the trigger hairs has secretory glands that secrete mucus, which can also prevent insects from breaking free and help the leaf lobes stick together. This kind of leaf has the special function of catching insects, making it unforgettable at a glance.

The roots and stems of the Venus flytrap

As for the characteristics of the Venus flytrap, besides the strange leaves, its roots have nothing outstanding. On the contrary, they are not well developed and only play a role in absorbing water. The stem of the Venus flytrap is smaller than that of ordinary plants, but during the growth of the Venus flytrap, a bulb will develop underground. The bulb is an evolved type of modified stem, which is rather special.

2. Will the Venus flytrap hurt people? No

Having understood the characteristics of the Venus flytrap, let us return to the question itself: will the Venus flytrap hurt people? Here, the editor can clearly tell everyone that the Venus flytrap cannot hurt people, because it takes about 10 days just to digest one insect, let alone a person. To make everyone convinced, the editor will now talk about the insect-catching process of the Venus flytrap.

The insect-catching process of the Venus flytrap

The top of the Venus flytrap has trap-like leaves, and the edges of the leaves have relatively long spikes. This is the part where the Venus flytrap catches insects. Normally, nectar is secreted there. When an insect smells the natural fragrance and enters the inside of the shell, it will close naturally, and then slowly consume the plump insect. When grown indoors, it can effectively eliminate flies.

As shown in the picture above, the opening and closing speed of the trap is very fast. If it finds an insect falling in, it will close quickly so that the insect cannot escape. If you have not had enough, you can watch a video of a Venus flytrap eating insects. However, precisely because of this, many friends ask: will the Venus flytrap hurt people? For example, if a finger accidentally touches it, will it harm us? In fact, it does no harm to people at all.

For this, bold flower lovers can try it themselves and put their fingers in its trap. You will find that it does no harm at all. This is because the trap of the Venus flytrap can only digest insects and cannot digest your fingers. So after knowing that the Venus flytrap will not hurt people, it has been played with a lot, and people often feed it insects, so there have also been cases where overfeeding affects the growth of the Venus flytrap.