Suggest a reason why the Venus fly trap needs to capture insects, even though it carries out photosynthesis.
The leaves are adapted to become 2 lobes. The upper surface of the lobes is red. Suggest why the lobes are red.
The lobes have sensory hairs. Touching 1 sensory hair will not make the leaf respond. At least 2 sensory hairs must be touched within 20 seconds to trigger a response in the leaves. State the advantage to the plant of producing a response only when 2 sensory hairs are touched within 20 seconds.
After an insect has been trapped, the leaves must stay closed for several days. Suggest why this needs to happen.
Action potentials are produced by the Venus fly trap during the closing of a leaf. Each action potential is also linked to a refractory period. This is similar to the action potential and refractory period seen in a mammalian neurone during nerve impulse transmission. Explain the role played by the refractory period in the transmission of an impulse in a mammalian neurone.