Plant sensory perception: the senses of plants as a functional mirror of animals

Abstract

Plant sensory perception is an emerging field that describes plants’ ability to detect environmental stimuli and respond through distributed molecular and physiological mechanisms. Although they lack sensory organs like animals do, plants possess cellular receptors and signaling networks that perform functions equivalent to sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing, as well as additional perceptions such as gravipercception, thermopercception, magnetopercception, memory, and circadian rhythms. This review article synthesizes evidence from 64 references published between 2000 and 2025, including classic and recent studies in plant neurobiology, bioacoustics, chemical communication, and climate resilience. The findings confirm that plants are active organisms capable of processing information, communicating chemical and electrical signals, and responding adaptively to changing conditions. The critical synthesis of results and discussion highlights the direct implications for sustainable agriculture, food security, and crop resilience to climate change.