Final Exam Flashcards
Plant Biotech
Utilization of plant products and processes
-Tissue Culture-growing whole plants from cells
-gene/genome sequencing
-biofuel production
Importance of Genome Projects
-Helps us understand the ancestry of species.
-Provides information about what genes are responsible for conferring specific traits.
- Used agronomically
Transgenic Plants
Plants in which DNA from another species (with which the plant could not cross) has been integrated.
-These plants are generated through transformation: the genetic manipulation of a cell resulting from delivery and incorporation of DNA into the recipient genome.
Agrobacterium
inserts a fragment of its own DNA into plant cells. Cells form a tumor like growth called crown gall.
-Agro effectively transformed dicots, but was not initially effective for monocots/some dicots.
The two major plant transformation methods
Agrobacterium, Biolistics (Microprojectile bombardment)
Biolistics
1.Gene gun
2. DNA of interest is coated in non reactive metal particles (gold or tungsten) and physically forced inside of plant cells at high velocity pressure.
(This has the potential to damage plant tissue).
input traits for better yields
insect resistance (BT)
Herbicidal Tolerance
Pathogen Resistance
Drought, cold, salt tolerance
Disease resistance
Output traits
improved nutritional content
-production of novel compounds
-reduced oxidation
Taq Polymerase
Enzyme capable of synthesizing new DNA strands, isolated from heat loving bacterium
Camv35s
promoter
NOS
Terminator
PCR Reaction
process in which a specific DNA region can be copied continuously, under a particular set of conditions.
Electrophoresis
technique used to separate DNA by size.
Plant hormones
organic compounds produced in small quantities that have variable impacts on growth, development, and life cycle events,
A plant growth regulator or PGR is…
any substance, natural, or synthetic thing applied to plants to modulate their growth and development.
eg. root hormones
The darwins
cut tips of plants to find if they react to light
The discovery of plant hormones
The observation of how plants move and grow in response to light direction, called phototropism, initiated a series of experiments over 50 years that led to the discovery of auxin.
Peter Boysen Jansen
established that a water-soluble chemical is responsible for moving thru the stem to induce the bending effect.
Frits Went
Isolated chemical and found that growth effects were inducible even without light.
Auxin
“to increase”
-Produced in seed embryos, buds, young flowers, SAMs
Major functions include:
1. Stimulate cell expansion all over the plant
2. Induces root growth + branching from pericycle
3. Promotes differentiation/specialization of vascular tissues.
4. Prevents axillary bud growth/branching near stem tips
(apical dominance)
Synthetic auxins
2-4-0,
stimulate growth in low concentrations but herbicidal in high concentrations.
How were gibberellins discovered
Foolish seedling disease of rice
Cytokinins
Produced in roots and germinating seeds
-transported to shoots via xylem
1. Promote cell division all over the plant
2. Delay aging and death of vegetative organs
3. Stimulate branching and shoot growth (negatively effected by auxin)
Giberellins
110 natural forms
1. Promote cell division and elongation in shoots especially at internodes
2. Stimulates flower and cone development
3. Application during flowering and young fruit development leads to larger fruits that are further apart (grapes)
senescence
aging and death
Abscisic acid
(ABA) The conservation hormone.
- found or produced in mature leaves, roots, fruits, seeds, BEFORE Germination
1. Induces and maintains seed dormancy (Blocks gibberellin activity)
2. Induce guard cells to close during periods of drought and heat.
3. Influences rate and amount of h2o and sugar transported to fruits and seeds.
Ethelyne
c2H4
-Single molecule (gaseous)
-Stress from damage and ripening causes Ethelyne to be released.
Produced in potentially all living tissues/cells
1. Can be applied to induce ripening
2. Injury/disturbance/stress results in production
3. stimulates senescence
4. Accumulates when plants encounter a physical barrier
How does water move upward through a plant against gravity?
loss of h2o leads to more absorption. The cohesive nature of water causes transpiration.