Memristors in the Venus flytrap

Abstract

A memristor is a nonlinear element because its current-voltage characteristic is similar to that of a Lissajous pattern for nonlinear systems. We investigated the possible presence of memristors in the electrical circuitry of the Venus flytrap's upper and lower leaves. The electrostimulation of this plant by bipolar sinusoidal or triangle periodic waves induces electrical responses in the upper and lower leaves of the Venus flytrap with fingerprints of memristors. The analysis was based on cyclic voltammetric characteristics where the memristor, a resistor with memory, should manifest itself. Tetraethylammonium chloride, an inhibitor of voltage gated K(+) channels, or NPPB, a blocker of voltage gated Cl(-) and K(+) channels, transform a memristor to a resistor in plant tissue. Uncouplers carbonylcyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) and carbonylcyanide-4-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl hydrazone (FCCP) decrease the amplitude of electrical responses at low and high frequencies of bipolar periodic electrostimulating waves. Our results demonstrate that voltage gated K(+) channels in the Venus flytrap have properties of memristors of type 1 and type 2. The discovery of memristors in plants creates a new direction in the modeling and understanding of electrical phenomena in plants.

An analytical model of memristors in plants

“…TEACl, an inhibitor of voltage gated K C channels, transform a memristor to a resistor. 15,30,31 Plants have these voltage gated potassium ion channels associated with plasma membranes. 16 Our analytical model of a memristor in plants with a capacitor connected in parallel shows that at very high frequencies instead of a single-valued function of a memristor (Fig.…”

Microtubules as Sub-Cellular Memristors

“…Additionally, MTs and other cytoskeletal filaments in neurons have been hypothesized to store molecular bits of information that can build up memory at a sub-cellular level. They have also been proposed to transmit electrical signals in neuronal cells [16][17][18][19][20] . Conducting properties of AFs and MTs have been experimentally and computationally investigated yielding important insights into their remarkable behavior, which is discussed below.…”

“…Such generalized memristors have been identified in numerous naturally occurring systems, e.g. potassium and calcium ion channels in the Hodgkin-Huxley nerve membrane circuit model 8,9 , the aplysia habituation neuron in Kandel's research on memory 10,11 , silk proteins 12 , organic memristors 13 and conducting structures in plants [14][15][16] . The connection between memristors and neuronal synapses 17 can potentially shed light on the enigma of memory generation, erasure and retention in the human brain.…”

Memristors: Memory elements in potato tubers

“…We have found memristors in the electrical circuitry of Venus flytrap, Aloe vera and Mimosa pudica. 16,[18][19][20] Gale et al 26 found memristive properties of protoplasmic tubes of a cellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum. Johnsen et al 27 found that the sweat ducts in the skin are memristors.…”

“…Volkov et al [18][19][20][21] found that the electrostimulation of plants by bipolar periodic sinusoidal or triangle waves induces electrical responses with fingerprints of memristors of type I or type II. To elucidate this mechanism, Markin et al 16 proposed analytical models of a memristor and a memristor with a capacitor connected in parallel.…”