The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Series 3 | Episode 1 | The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Watch this episode now on 4oD Professor Sue Hartley

Professor Hartley reveals how, despite animals' attempts to destroy plants by eating them, plants are winning the war.

Animals only manage to eat around a fifth of the available vegetation and eating plants isn't as easy as it looks; they have developed ingenious ways to fight off their enemies, from poisonous chemicals to spines and stinging hairs.

Some of these weapons are useful to us - many of our most important medicines were originally discovered in plants - but others can do us serious harm. Even grasses, which look deceptively easy to eat, contain silica that makes chewing them like having sand in your sandwiches.

Watch now on 4oD

On TV

First Shown

Date Time Channel
Monday 21 December 2009 7PM More4

Last Shown

Date Time Channel
Monday 21 December 2009 7PM More4
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