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i z ee, Functions of Life in Plants, , All of us know today that plants have life, they can breathe and feel. But before 1900, few, eople knew and believed it. It was Jagadish Chandra Bose, a great Indian scientist who, , demonstrated’ the fact. He built a unique’ instrument’ that could measure the feel, the sense, , and growth of the plants. It showed that plants have a special sense which tells them that a, , stranger IS approaching., , : “Your instrument is a wonderful thing,” said the great scientists who had come to the Paris, Congress of Science, 1900. They were amazed’ as the inventor showed them how to use the, , instrument., , “What do you call this instrument a, , “A Crescograph,” replied Jagdish Chandra Bose., , “And where was it made ?” the scientists asked., , “In India,” was the answer., , It was just a miracle’. India at that time was known for its greatness in the fields of fine, , arts’, literature’ and philosophy’. But in the field of science, the European professors were, teaching science to Indians. There were very few colleges of science in India., , Jagdish Chandra Bose was born in a village in Bengal. After studying physics at the, Calcutta University he went to England for further studies. He graduated from Cambridge. On, returning to India he was appointed” Professor of Physics in Presidency College at Calcutta in, 1885., , In those days of British rule over India, an Indian received just two-thirds of the salary paid, to a European Professor. Bose’s appointment was a temporary one, so he was given only half, , the rate for a European. Bose refused to touch any part of his salary. It was a question of, le who did the same kind and same amount of work should be, , rinciples"’. He felt that peop, Bid ec f struggle” he was paid full salary from the date of joining. It, , paid equally. After three years ° e \ i, was the preamble” of his future discover'es. Discoveries do not come from the yes-men, they, 6, , come from the doubters and rebels’., Since his boyhood, Bose had been interested in animal and plant life. He used to play, , under the trees till late at night. Her mother called him daily at dusk, “My son, come here,, , , , , , \emonstrate : show something clearly by giving proof; *ynique ; without parallel; ‘instrument: device used for delicate or scientific, work; “sense : the power of) touch, sightete. that body uses to get information about the world around; ‘stranger :aperson that one does not, know: ‘amazed : very surprised; "inventor aman WhO has produced or designed something that has not existed before; miracle a thing, that happens that you did not expect or think was possible; fine arts : forms of art, especially painting, drawing and sculpture that are 5, , alued as works of art — novels, plays and poems, ., , created to be beautiful rather than useful; “literature : pieces of writing that are v: : D, a hoosen for a job; * principle + moral rule or strong belief that influences your actions; ‘, , osophy : theory of ideas; “appointed + ©, rdcontest; “preamble :an introduction; “rebel :protester; person who opposes & system, , , , , , , ‘serugele shal, , , , , English Reader-8

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good children neither go under the trees nor pluck their leaves at night.”, , Now his work in Physics led him back to his old fascination. He was working on wireless, receiver, Bose noticed that his wireless receiver showed signs of ‘tiredness’ after it had been, in use for some time, but in some strange way got back its power after being ‘rested’. These, were forethoughts "for the discoveries to come. 3, , Man used to believe that the world, as one beautiful unity was created by the Almighty, God. Everything in the world from man to stones, had its place and purpose. But the, discoveries of scientists like Galileo and Newton changed this notion . Man began to study, each branch of science separately in great detail. In this way there developed several different, kinds of sciences. Bose, however, observed” a unity among the diversity of all these, branches of science. He realized that there was a similarity’ in the behaviour of lifeless and, living things., , Bose suggested that the animal, plant and mineral kingdoms are one and had a great deal, in common. He said that plants and metals had a life of their own and could become ‘tired’,, ‘depressed’ or ‘happy’. But people hold” on to their old beliefs and do not like to change them., , Bose designed” and built an instrument which proved his findings with maximum, accuracy’ . This was the ‘crescograph’, the amazing instrument which records the movement, in the plant tissues’. It magnifies” this movement ten thousand times and can record the, reaction of plants to manures, light, noise, heat, cold, human touch and other stimuli”. It, showed that the plants are capable of feeling. The crescograph indicated © that plants react to, rays of light and wireless waves. It also proved that they have a special sense which make, them aware of the approach of a stranger. The plants take food and water, breathe, work, take”, rest, sleep and die. The crescograph could detect”, record and magnify the minute ~, responses of plants due to external stimuli. Thus Bose proved that plants have life and, perform all the functions of life as we humans do., , On may 10, 1901 he showed the working of his instrument, London (England). He connected it to a plant. Plant’, times through the instrument and displayed” on a screen. A big lighted dot started moving to, and fro on the screen like a pendulum”. Then he put the plant under different stimuli to show, the effect on and reaction by the plant. Thus he was able to show that plants are sensitive like, us. They also feel pain and pleasure. He was greeted with thunder of claps., , Bose developed many instruments. He developed his ma, sensation’ (vibrations’ of plants) one million times. He also, ‘coheror’ for the detection of radio waves (wireless). He ma, , before the Royal Society in, s pulse beat” was magnified ten thousand, , , , gnetic crescograph to magnify, developed an instrument called, , < - s, de Resivet recorder which could”, , , , “fascination : a very strong attraction; “forethoushr : careful thought to make sure, idea, a belief or an understanding of something; “observed : watched carefully something in order to leam more about th: é, range of many things that are very different from each other, © yvalized ; understood or became aware of a particular fact or situatioas, “similarity : the state of being like something but not exactly the same; “behaviour : the way a person or thing functions or reacts: y, ikeep one’s grasp on; “designed: drew plans and made models; “accuracy : the level of being exact orcorrect;, , ‘i of cells; “mieegnifies ; makes large, “ree ond to show a Particular measurement, stimuli : things that rouse a person, anim, , eg. activity; “indicated : showed that something is true or existed; * dezecs - to notice something that is not easy to sense:, , cr small; “responses : reactions to things that have happened; pulye bens : (here) regular vibrations in plants peer of, “display « show; “pendulun: : a weight hanging down loosely and swii a, , : D ing from side to side;, “sensation feelings; | vibrition continuous shaking movement or feeling;, , English Reader-8 Cae) :, , that things are successful in the future:, , , , , , , , tissues, , , , , , , , Yeustiive: aware of and able to s¢, , , , cy

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re one thousandth part of a sec, , joule ond. He did a |, das ‘Sir’ by the aes a lot of work on rad :, e y the Government of India in 1917 and Fellow’ of 0 eyin ee, , wrote two W i a, , pose ae enone famous books entitled’ ‘Response in the Livin and Non-living’, 11902) a s Mechanism of Plants’ (1926). Before hi ? ee, death in 1937, he founded™ the Bose Institute in Caleutt ne, h researches are conducted” on several subjects. os, h Chandra Bose had deep concern” for India and, her people. He had a deep faith in the intelligence of his, countrymen. In an address at a convocation’ of the, University of Mysore in November 1927, he spoke about, , India’s glory” in the past and declared that it was action,, , and not idleness’, that was responsible” for that glory., , He believed that there could be no happiness for a, single person unless it had been won for alls, , , , whic, Jagdis, , , , “founded : started (an organization or institution); ~ conducted: cared, or college when students receive their degrees; “glory., @ laziness; a state of not working hard: ” responsible:, , *llow:: (respectful) member, 8 entitled : givenatitle (toabook);, ny held ina university, , , 6 See ae, on: “concern : feeling of worry; 4 ponvocation : aceremo, tate of doing nothin, , special cause for pride, respect and pleasures idleness + 2S, having the job or duty of doing something with spirit and care., oe, , gs