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Jagadis
Chunder Bose (Nov. 30, 1858 - Nov. 23, 1937) was a Bengali
scientist whose pioneering efforts in physics, biophysics,
and biology continue to influence research today. In addition
to his esteemed work in radio and microwave optics, his
research in plant stimuli was groundbreaking. Using an apparatus
of his own invention (the crescograph) Bose demonstrated
that plant response to stimuli paralleled that of animals.
This discovery led to later experimentation on "the
nervous systems of plants". In one example, his laboratory
research showed that "pleasant" music enhances
plant growth while harsh sounds retard their growth. This
has since been experimentally verified by other scientists.
In other research, Bose tested plants for changes in electrical
conduction in response to a variety of stimuli including:
wounds, chemical agents, microwaves, temperature changes,
and seasonal effects. Again, much of this work has been
verified through third party research and peer reviewed
journals.
He
published over 25 papers in Nature, as well as several
books including: The Nervous Mechanisms of Plants,
Researches into the Irritability of Plants, and
Plant Autographs and Their Revelations. He received
knighthood in 1916, became a Fellow of the Royal Society
in 1920, joined the Vienna Academy of Science in 1928,
and was elected President of the 14th session of the Indian
Science Congress in 1927.
Based
on his analysis of the nature of variation of the cell
membrane potential of plants under different circumstances,
Jagadis Chunder Bose believed that plants can "feel
pain, understand affection etc" and suggested that
a plant treated with care and affection sends a different
signal than a plant subjected to torture.
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