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The Mimosa’s leaves, similar to Venus Fly Trap’s trigger hairs, are hypersensitive to touch. In line with the touch-sensing function used for tasks such as for defense or nutrient maintenance, these parts have mechanoreceptors linked to mechanosensitive channels that can conduct calcium ions and indirectly relative anions upon touch stimulation, giving rise to depolarization, the initiation of an action potential (AP). They also have voltage-sensitive potassium channels that promote hyperpolarization and turgor formation. Such sensitive plants fire all-or-nothing type APs similar to those seen in animals.

Mimosa plants possess special red cells on their adaxial surface of the tertiary pulvini. These red cells are mechanoreceptors that are capable of generating receptor potential after coming into contact with mechanical stimuli and also interact with excitable motor cells. These mechanoreceptor cells are the first step in the mimosa plant's response behavior to mechanical stimuli as they are what picks up or senses the presence of the stimuli. The pulvini is the primary site of mechanosensation as this is where the mechanoreceptors are mainly located and therefore it is also the site where mechanical sensitivity is the highest in the mimosa plant. Although the existence of mechanoreceptors in the mimosa plants is known, there are still questions on the mechanism that is responsible for the detection of stimuli. Whatever the mechanism is, after the mechanoreceptors detect the stimulus then mechano-sensitive ion channels are activated. The activation of these mechanosensitive ion channels initiates the defense response of the mimosa plant by generating an action potential.

The mimosa plant has the ability to generate action potentials (APs) to rapidly communicate among its organs, tissues, and individual cells and ultimately promote specific behavioral responses in response to changing environmental factors. Its plant body cells contain concentrations of about 100 mM of potassium ions (K+) intracellularly and face an extracellular fluid with 0.1–1 mM of K+, both fluids also including accompanying anions such as chloride ions (Cl−). Whereas animals take advantage of an inward-directed sodium ion electrical gradient to depolarize, plants take advantage of an outward-directed anion electrical gradient. Generally, upon mechanical stimulation of mechanoreceptors in the leaflet, anion channels open and the efflux of negatively charged ions depolarizes the plasma membrane by up to 100 mV, initiating the depolarization phase of an AP.

There is a mediator between mechanical stimulation and the opening of anion channels in plants like the Mimosa. More specifically, upon mechanical stimulation of the mechanoreceptors, glutamate receptor-like channels (GLRs), known to be non-specific cation channels, open and allow calcium ions (Ca2+) to enter the cell which in turn activates Ca2+-dependent, voltage-dependent anion channels. This leads to ongoing anion efflux, primarily consisting of Cl− anions, causing the membrane potential to further drop and reach the depolarization peak. In response to the depolarization, voltage-dependent K+ channels open, repolarizing the cell and initiating the repolarization phase of the AP. In addition to these channels, an electrogenic pump drives hydrogen (H+) ions out of the cell, which further repolarizes the membrane potential and characterizes the overshoot hyperpolarization phase. Finally, H+/K+ and H+/Cl− transporters together with hyperpolarization-activated K+ channels reset the ion gradients, reassume the resting state, and prepare for the firing of a subsequent AP. The AP in the initially-activated cell is propagated from one cell to neighboring cells via plasmodesmata connections, a narrow passageway of cytoplasm that passes through the cell walls of adjacent plant cells, and phloem tubes. Voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels are also present in plant cells and activated to contribute to this propagation.

The habitualism and generalization capabilities of the Mimosa pudica were also tested in a study conducted by Jeremy Jones. Jones created an experiment which would expose mature Mimosa pudica to one of three stimuli, touch, water, and a short drop, all of which should trigger leaf closing with a refractory period in between stimulus in order to ensure results were not due to fatigue or desensitization. Jones found that Mimosa pudica, when exposed to the same stimulus for several trials daily, will begin to remain open after fewer trials. Initially it took many trials until the plant learned to remain open despite the stimulus, however at the end of the experiment, the mimosa remained open for more of the trials. Similar to previous experiments by Gagliano, the plants were presented with a different stimulus, and closed immediately, and took many trials before they remained open. This study also hoped to prove capabilities of generalization, but was unable to do so, as the plant reacted to a change in stimulus with the same immediate closure as it would typically, despite being habitualized to a stimulus.

According to the World Health Organization, 80% of the world uses phytomedicines to care for varying diseases, making mimosa pudica a widely used plant in areas that rely on this form of medicine. M. pudica is associated with several medicinal properties such as its ability to act as an anti-inflammatory, function as an antimicrobial, and its capacity to be used as a hypolipidemic drug. The ethanol found in M. pudica leaves have been shown to have similar effects comparable to traditional anti-inflammatory drugs such as indomethacin when tested for its ability to inhibit paw edema in rats. Extracting portions of the plant, such as from the leaves and roots, with ethanol and petroleum ether is capable of slowing down the growth of certain microorganisms such as A. niger and bacterium S. aureus, as well as certain fungi, with an increased extract concentration corresponding to an increase in growth inhibition. Its effectiveness as a hypolipidemic drug has also been reviewed due to the chemical composition in the whole body of the plant which can be used to make an ethanolic extract which has been observed to lower serum cholesterol levels in rats while subsequently increasing HDL levels and therefore decrease the risk of heart disease and stroke. Being bold is important on Wikipedia. Wikipedia is amazing because it allows for the collaboration of information and perspectives.