Plant Defences Flashcards
What are the two states of a plant in terms of battles?
A damaged plant means that a plant has lost a battle, while a healthy plant means that the plant has not yet lost a battle.
What are constitutive defenses?
Constitutive defenses are defenses that are always present.
What are induced defenses?
Induced defenses are defenses that are not always present.
What is bark in terms of plant defenses?
Bark is a woody armor that protects trees from animals.
What protects seeds from being eaten?
Hard coatings protect seeds, such as acorns.
What are thorns?
Thorns are modified branches that protect plants.
What are prickles?
Prickles are outgrowths on the skin of the plant, like hairs on the body.
What are trichomes?
Trichomes are soft hairs on the plant that protect from small animals.
What are glandular trichomes?
Glandular trichomes are trichomes with chemicals that affect the predator’s system.
What are digestibility reducers?
Digestibility reducers are structural elements that make plants hard to digest.
What are tannins?
Tannins are a drying agent that make the animal’s mouth dry when eaten.
What do calcium oxalate crystals do?
Calcium oxalate crystals protect plants from predators and can burn the mouth of predators.
What are terpenoids?
Terpenoids are a class of chemicals that taste bitter and repel animals.
What are alkaloids?
Alkaloids are chemicals that make animals sick and contain nitrogen.
What is hydrogen cyanide?
Hydrogen cyanide is a deadly poison that plants store in separate components for predators to eat.
