Plants have evolved defenses almost as diverse as the number of genera. Some load their tissues with harsh compounds that either are unpleasant to insects or intoxicate them, encouraging the insects to go bother another plant or at least slowing down their eating.
(A)
The back-and-forth is not a matter of natural balance, but more like a drawn-out evolutionary conversation. New plant defenses unintentionally select for insects with ways to get around them, which in turn help bring about more resilient and resistant plant species. New variations, shading into entire new forms and adaptations, maintain the stalemate.
(B)
Plants can release chemical compounds that let their same-species neighbors know that an attack is likely coming, pushing those nearby plants to start building up defensive compounds in their tissues. Some of these cues even attract insect predators, a call for an assist that benefits both the plant and its bug-eating collaborators.
(C)
Structural defenses like thick coats of wax on leaves may prevent some insect species from damaging the plant tissues altogether. Nor are individual plants entirely on their own while under attack.
* genera: genus의 복수, (생물 분류상의) 속(屬) ** resilient: 회복 탄력성이 있는 *** stalemate: 교착 상태
