Plants do maths to control overnight food supplies 植物算數控制夜間食物補給

Plants do maths to control overnight food supplies
植物算數控制夜間食物補給
2013-07-11◎國際新聞中心

UK scientists say they were "amazed" to find an example of such a sophisticated arithmetic calculation in biology.
英國科學家說，他們很「訝異地」發現，生物學中有這種複雜計算能力的案例。


The scientists studied the plant Arabidopsis, which is regarded as a model plant for experiments.
科學家研究被視為實驗模型植物的阿拉伯芥。


Overnight, when the plant cannot use energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into sugars and starch, it must regulate its starch reserves to ensure they last until dawn.
這種植物無法在夜間利用從陽光取得的能量，將二氧化碳轉化為糖與澱粉，必須調節澱粉儲量，確保它們能維持到破曉。


Experiments by scientists at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, show that to adjust its starch consumption so precisely, the plant must be performing a mathematical calculation.
諾威治「約翰‧因尼斯中心」科學家的實驗顯示，這種植物非常精確地調節澱粉消耗量，必定是在進行數學運算。


新聞辭典
overnight：形容詞，一夜的、一夕之間。例句：You can stay overnight with us if you want to.（如果你想的話，你可以留下來跟我們過夜。）
sophisticated：形容詞，複雜的、精密的、有經驗的。例句：Sophisticated readers understood the book’s hidden meaning.（有經驗的讀者了解這本書隱含的意義。）
reserves：名詞，儲備，來自動詞 reserve。例句：He reserved the right to veto any future plans.（他保留否決未來任何計畫的權利。）