New Plant Body Part Discovery - Scientists just Cantil believe it! 

What is Arabidopsis thaliana?

Arabidopsis is a thale cress, a small flowering plant found in Eurasia and Africa. It is generally considered a weed but is widely used in laboratories around the world.  Dr Timothy Gookin at the Pennslyvania State University has discovered a NEW plant body part called a ‘Cantil’ growing from the plant known as Arabidopsis thaliana. The new structure known as a Cantil grows horizontally, like little arms, from the stem part of the plant and looks similar to a cantilever, hence the title Cantil. 

Who discovered Cantils?

Dr Gookin noticed the cantils during his lab experiments which had largely gone unnoticed before because they require specific conditions to grow, so Dr Gookin checked to ensure that the samples had not been contaminated by other lab substances in order to confirm the new discovery.

It is now concluded that these cantils are left over from a much earlier incarnation of the plants existence, are not of practical use any more and only grow on the lower part of the stem and where the flowers blossom. The discovery is just as important as finding a new organ in an animal.

Why is Arabidopsis good for lab experiments?

Arabidopsis thaliana is a very useful plant and used widely in laboratory experiments including genetics. Its many advantages include:

• Short life cycle - often preferred by geneticists
• Grows particularly well indoors in growth chambers
• Produces lots of seeds.

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