5 - MZH - Plant responses Flashcards
State 2 ways in which plants use to produce coordinated responses
- Chemical communication molecules (hormones)
- Growth substances/ regulators
give 5 examples of plant reponses
- Seed germinating in suitable conditions - ensure optical growth
- Shoots growing upwards and roots downwards
- Plants growing adaptively with respect to light and variations in water content of the soil
- Responding to seasons in order to flower at the right time
- Responding to predation or abiotic stress
Define Abiotic stress + example
Abiotic stress = Somethign that’s potentially harmful to a plant that’s natural but non-living
E.g. drought - water stress
Define Herbivory
Herbivory = Process of animals eating plants
What are pheromones?
Pheromones = A signalling chemical, released by one plant, that affects the response of others
If this plant releases pheromones into its environment neighbouring plants can start producing defensive chemicals befoe they themselves are attacked
Give an example of a plant responding to abiotic stress
Carrots:
Produce antifreeze at low temperatures
- Proteins bind to ice crystals and lower the temperature that water freezez at ∴ stopping more ice crystals from growing
Different responses given by plants in response to herbivory and pathogenic microorganisms? (4)
Physical defences
Chemical defences - Tannins, alkaloids and pheromones
Leaf folding - Mimosa pudicans
Responses to herbivory/ pathogenic microorganisms:
Physical defences
- Thorns
- Spikes
- Hairy leaves
- Stings
Goal = Make themselves unappetising to predator
Responses to herbivory/ pathogenic microorganisms:
Chemical defences
Alkaloids:
- Chemicals derived from amino acids and taste bitter, smell noxious or have poisonous characteristics that deter or kill herbivores
- Located = outer leaves of stems and roots
- E.g. Tobacco plants produce the alkaloid nicotine (which is poinsonous to many insects) in response to tissue damage
Tannins:
- Tastes bitter
- In some herbivores (cattle, sheep) they can bind to proteins in the gut, making the plant hard to digest
Pheromones = A signalling chemical, released by one plant, and can affect the responses of others
- Some plants release alarm pheromones into the air in response to herbivore grazing. Allows nearby plants to detect these chemicals and start making chemical defences
- When corn plants are eaten by caterpillars, the produce pheromones which attract parasitic wasps. These wasps lay their eggs in the caterpillars, which eventually kill them
Responses to herbivory/ pathogenic microorganisms:
Leaf folding
Mimosa pudicans - is a sensitive plant which has leaves that collapse in towards the stems if touched and are protects by sharp spines
Define Tropism
Tropism = Directional growth reponse of plants determined by a stimulus
What is the difference between a positive/ negative tropism?
Positive tropism = Respons towards the stimulus
Negative tropism = Response away from the stimulus
Name the 5 types of tropism you need to know and name the stimulus that accompanies each type of tropism
What are nastic responses?
Example?
Nastic responses = Non-directional responses to external stimuli e.g. collapsing of leaves on mimosa
Phototropism
How is it useful?
Positive phototropism = Plant shoot responding by growing towards light
- Shoot phototropisms are controlled by plant hormones called Auxin e.g. IAA
- For a plant to respond to light it needs a photoreceptor molecule that’s sensitive to light changes
Compare animal hormones and plant hormones
