How do cacti have so many spines on them?

Updated on home 2024-05-18
8 answers
  1. Anonymous users2024-02-10

    The cactus thorn is significant for the cactus itself, a product of a protective mechanism designed to adapt to the harsh climate. This thorn belongs to the leaves of the cactus, which reduces the transpiration area of the plant and saves a lot of water consumption. The spines of the cactus take on many other forms, reflecting intense light and reducing water loss.

    Normally, most of the water absorbed by the plant is consumed by transpiration, according to scientists, for every 100 grams of water absorbed by the plant, 99 grams are lost due to transpiration, and only 1 gram is preserved in the plant, and the leaf is the main transpiration part, the water is lost from here, and the larger the leaf area, the faster the evaporation.

    Therefore, in order to survive the severe drought and retain as much water as possible, after a long period of evolution, the leaves of the cactus gradually evolved to be more adapted to the environment, forming the needle-like spines we see now, which fundamentally reduced the transpiration surface of the plant, saved a lot of water consumption, and greatly improved the survival ability of the cactus in areas with severe water shortage. The very dense spines we see are actually cactus leaves.

  2. Anonymous users2024-02-09

    The leaves of the cactus degenerate into thorns, the product of a protective mechanism designed to adapt to the harsh climate. Cacti are mostly found in the waterless desert Gobi, and the plants with degraded leaves are more likely to keep the water in their bodies and survive.

  3. Anonymous users2024-02-08

    The cactus thorn, which may seem meaningless to us, is significant to the cactus itself, being the product of a protective mechanism to adapt to the harsh climate.

    Normally, most of the water absorbed by the plant is consumed by transpiration, according to scientists, for every 100 grams of water absorbed by the plant, 99 grams are lost due to transpiration, and only 1 gram is preserved in the plant, and the leaf is the main transpiration part, the water is lost from here, and the larger the leaf area, the faster the evaporation.

  4. Anonymous users2024-02-07

    1. The thorns of the human palm are actually evolved from leaves on the land and land zones, because cacti grow in arid areas or desert areas, where the sunshine is very strong and very arid, if the cactus has large leaves, under the irradiation of the sun, the water will evaporate quickly, and eventually lead to the death of the cactus.

    2. Therefore, in the environment with little water, the cactus has evolved needle-shaped leaves, and in addition, the needle can play a role in self-defense to prevent other animals from eating itself.

    3. The fat leaves of the cactus "are actually stems!" The thorns of the cactus are equivalent to the leaf organs of the plant, in order to adapt to the harsh environment of the desert, it originally had leaves, because the environment was too harsh, the leaves became thorns one by one, to reduce steaming pain, to maintain their own moisture.

  5. Anonymous users2024-02-06

    1. The thorns of the human palm are actually evolved from the leaves, because the cacti are grown in dry arid areas or desert areas, where the sunlight is very strong and very arid, if the cactus has large leaves, under the irradiation of the sun, the water will evaporate quickly, and eventually cause the cactus to die.

    2. Therefore, in an environment with little water, the cactus has evolved needle-shaped leaves, and in addition, the needle can play a role in self-defense to prevent its animals from eating itself.

    3. The fat leaves of the cactus "are actually stems!" The thorns of the cactus are equivalent to the leaf organs of the plant, in order to adapt to the harsh environment of the desert, it originally had leaves, because the environment was too harsh, the leaves became thorns one by one, to reduce the steaming pain, to maintain their own moisture.

  6. Anonymous users2024-02-05

    In order to survive the drought and retain as much water as possible, the cactus leaves gradually evolved to become more adaptable to the environment, forming the needle-like spines that we see today.

    This evolution radically reduces the transpiration surface of the plant, saves a lot of water consumption, and greatly improves the survival of cacti in areas with severe water shortages. The very dense spines we see are actually cactus leaves.

    At this stage, the thorns of many cacti have become other forms, and some have become white hairs, which are densely draped on the surface of the plant, which can reflect strong light and play a role in reducing the body surface temperature, and also greatly reduce the loss of water, which can make the plant store a large amount of water.

  7. Anonymous users2024-02-04

    Cactus is a plant that grows in arid and hot environments. To adapt to this environment, the cactus' spines act as a protector against weathering and loss of moisture, while also defending against herbivores. Therefore, the spines of cacti can be regarded as a kind of self-care and protection for the survival of their trapped people.

    There are various forms of cactus spines, and different forms of spines have different functions. For example, some cacti with sharp spines can pierce the animal's ** and leave a stinging sensation, which makes herbivores afraid to approach them again; Some cactus thorns only serve to protect the plant from natural forces such as sun exposure and weathering.

    In addition to the spines, the cactus has its stool and his way of adapting to arid environments. For example, their epidermis is usually thick, which acts as a reservoir of water; The leaves are underdeveloped, reducing transpiration; Some cacti release carbon dioxide at night, reducing water loss and nocturnal transpiration. On the whole, the thorns in the cactus are one of the important characteristics of jujube ruler staring to adapt to the environment.

  8. Anonymous users2024-02-03

    Because the cactus lives in desert areas, there is a lack of water and drought, and the leaves of the cactus evolve into thorn-like shapes, in order to reduce the loss of water.

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