Lecture 2: Plant Biochemistry

Question 1

Examples of primary (basic) plant products

Answer 1

nucleic acids, chlorophyll, cellulose

Question 2

What are primary products?

Answer 2

occur in all plant cells and are necessary for cell or organism survival

Question 3

What are secondary products?

Answer 3

usually only found in specialized, differentiated cells and are produced in relatively small amounts - not necessary for cell survival, they often benefit the plant as a whole. many are important medicinally since they are often physiologically active or have psychoactive effects

Question 4

Some functions of secondary products in plants

Answer 4

detoxifiers, neutrilizing waste products and toxin, provide a chemical defence agains herbivors, insect pests, fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens and even other plants; others can be attractants, luring flower pollinators and fruit dispersers with desirable colours and scents.

Question 5

many secondary product producd by plants and fungi are Pharmacologically active and may serve as..

Answer 5

hormones, anti-cancer agents, antibiotics, narcotics, stimulants, depressants, antihistamines, hallucinogens, poisons, and pesticides

Question 6

three major secondary compound groups

Answer 6

Alkaloids
Terpenoidss
Phenolics

Question 7

Alkaloids

Answer 7

contain nitrogen which is usually incorperated into a heterocyclic ring. most are bitter tasting and may have evovled as anti-herbiore and antibiotic defences. many are pharmacologically active; many have medicinal applications, and others can be poisonous or hallucinogenic

Question 8

Terpenoids

Answer 8

plant hydrocarbons built from two or more 5-C isoprene units. Many are distilled as scented “essential oils” and often have medicinal and antibiotic properties

Question 9

Terpenoid glycosides

Answer 9

organic compounds consisting of sugars attached to non-sugar terpenoids (aglycones).

Question 10

Most important terpenoid glycoside?

Answer 10

cardiac glycoside - have stimilating effect on the heart

saponin or steroidal glycosides - yield mammalian hormone precursors

Question 11

Phenolics

Answer 11

contain an aromatic ring which is attached to one or more hydroxyl groups

Question 12

Important phenolics

Answer 12

plant pigments(anthocyanins, flavonoids), plant poisons (coumarins) and a number of important medicinal drugs