Plant Hormones Flashcards
what do plants respond to
- abiotic (non-living)
- biotic (living)
- external stimuli
What are the type of chemical defences
Tannins
Alkaloids
Pheromones
Describe Tannins
these are toxic to microorganisms and large herbivores, in leaves they are found in the upper epidermis and make the lead taste bad in roots they prevent infiltration by pathogenic microorganisms
Describe Alkaloids
derived from amino acids, in plants they are a feeding deterrent to animals and taste bitter, they are located in the growing tips and the flowers and peripheral cell layers of stems and roots
Describe Pheromones
these are chemicals which are released by one individual and which can affect the behaviour and physiology of another
name the type of responses
- phototropism
- geotropism
- chemotropism
- thigmotropism
describe phototropism
this is when the shoot grows towards light as they are positively phototropic this enables them to photosynthesise
describe geotropism
this is when roots grow towards the pull of gravity, this anchors them in the soil and helps them take up water this is needed for support as it keeps the cell turgid and as a raw material for photosynthesis to help cool the plant, also minerals such as nitrates
describe chemotropism
one a flower pollen tubes grow down the style attracted by chemicals towards the ovary where fertilisation can take place
describe thigmotropism
shoots of climbing plants wind around other plants or solid structures to gain support
if a plant responds towards a stimulus…
it is a positive tropic response
if a plant responds away from a stimulus…
it is still a tropic response but it is negative rather that positive
what is a non directional responses
- Non – directional responses to external stimuli are nastic responses, Mimosa pudica responds to touch with a sudden folding of the leaves this is thigmonasty
what do hormones do in the plant
- Hormones coordinate plant responses to environmental stimuli, chemical responses that can be transported away from their site of manufacture to act in other parts of the plant
What produces hormones
- Produced by cells in a variety of tissues in the plant
How do hormones work
- When the hormones reach their target cells they bind to receptors on the plasma membrane, specific hormones have specific shapes which can only bind to specific receptors with complementary shapes on the membranes of particular cells, specific binding makes sure that the hormones only act on correct tissue
some hormones have different effects on ……
different tissues some can amplify each other’s effects and some can even cancel out each other’s effects
How do plant hormones travel around the plant
- Active transport
- Diffusion
- Mass flow into the phloem sap or in xylem vessels