5.1.5 - Plant And Animal Repsones Flashcards
What is abiotic stress?
Plant stress due to non-living components of their environment
How do abiotic factors affect leaf loss in all plants?
Temps and light affect photosynthesis - when demand for glucose becomes greater than glucose produced during PS, leaves are lost.
How do abiotic factors affect leaf loss in trees only?
Wind is more likely to blow trees over when full of leaves so in winter they lose all leaves to remain dormant until days lengthen and temps rise.
What is photoperiodism?
The way plants are sensitive to a lack of light in their environment.
What is phytochrome?
A light-sensitive pigment that determines night length to day length
What are the 2 forms of phytochrome?
Pr and Pfr
What do lengthening of dark periods trigger?
- leaf abscission
- period of dormancy
What do falling light levels result in ?
1 Falling concentrations of auxin
2 leaves respond to by producing the hormone ethene
3 Ethene-sensitive layers in abscission zone (AZ) undergo gene switching
4 New enzymes produced
5 Enzymes weaken and digest cell walls of separation layer (outer layer of AZ)
How is the plant protected from pathogens after leaf abscission?
1 vascular bundles sealed off
2 fatty acid materials build protective layer under separation layer
3 Protective scar formed
What is the role of the separation zone?
Respond to hormonal cues: retain water and swelling - more pressure for abscission to happen
How does a decrease in temperature affect plants?
Cells freeze = membranes disrupted = die
How do plants prevent freezing?
1 cytoplasm and cell sap have solutes = lower freezing point
2 some produce polysaccharides, amino acids and proteins to act as anti-freeze
3 can produce chemicals = frost resistant ( genes activated in sustained fall in temp - reversed with sustain spell of warm weather)
What is the main mechanism plants use to overcome stresses of heat and water availability?
Stomatal control
What hormone is responsible for stomatal control?
ABA
What releases hormone ABA?
Leaf cells and roots
What does ABA do?
1 plant under abiotic stress
2 ABA binds to receptors on membrane of guard cells
3changes in ionic concentration
4 changes turgor
5 stomata CLOSE
What is herbivory?
The process by which herbivores eat plants
Physical defences against herbivory
- thorns
- barbs
- spikes
- fibrous + inedible tissue
- hairy leaves
- stings
Chemical defences against herbivory
- tannins
- alkaloids
- pheromones
What are tannins and what are their functions?
- part of group called phenols
- have bitter taste = discourages herbivory
- toxic to insects (inactivate digestive enzymes in saliva)
What are alkaloids and what are their functions?
- bitter-tasting, nitrogenous compounds
- affect metabolism and can poison animals
- e.g. nicotine, caffeine morphine and cocaine