Plant Metabolites

Question 1

Secondary (specialized) metabolites

Answer 1

Secondary metabolites (also known as specialized metabolites) aid in growth and development but are not required for the organism to survive. In many cases these are specific to organs, or to a specific group or individual organisms.

Question 2

Primary metabolites

Answer 2

considered essential in different organisms (normal growth, development, and reproduction)

Question 3

מטבוליטים שניוניים

Answer 3

לא דרושים להשלמת מחזור החיים בצמח אם הצמח גדל בתנאים מיטביים

Question 4

What are metabolites

Answer 4

Small organic molecules (between 50-1500Da) that are the substrates and products of metabolism

Question 5

מה קורה אם נותנים יותר מידי סוכר לצמח?

Answer 5

אורך השורשים קטן ויעילות הפוטוסינטזה כנפגע

Question 6

List 4 types of primary metabolites

Answer 6

Carbohydrates
Organic acids (many of which are TCA cycle intermediates, or C4 metabolism)
Amino acids
Lipids

Question 7

למה עוד משמשים חומצות אמינו חוץ מליצירת חלבון?

Answer 7

• Protect plants from stress, for example too much salt

* Substrate for energy production (in the mitochondria)

Question 8

GABA

Answer 8

Non-protein amino acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) rapidly accumulates in plant tissues in response to biotic and abiotic stress, and regulates plant growth.

• Contributes to C:N metabolism
• Regulated pH
• Protection against Oxidative stress
• Defense against insects

Question 9

What do specialized metabolites do?

Answer 9

• Signalling
• Defense against predators
• Defense against abiotic stress
• Reproduction
• Competition with other plants

Question 10

What are specialized metabolites used for by people?

Answer 10

• Flavor
• Scent
• Medicines

Question 11

Alkaloids

Answer 11

אַלְקָלוֹאִידים (באנגלית ביחיד: Alkaloid) הם קבוצה של תרכובות אורגניות המכילות בסיס חנקני.

Question 12

What are alkaloids derived from?

Answer 12

Amino acids and polyamines (A polyamine is an organic compound having more than two amino groups)

Question 13

Morphine

Answer 13

Alkaloid used for pain relief and cough suppression

Question 14

Examples of secondary metabolites

Answer 14

• Morphine
• Caffeine
• Nicotine
• Atropine (cardiac stimulant and pupil dilator)

Question 15

What is Nicotine used for in plants

Answer 15

Protection against animals that eat plants

Question 16

Terpenoids

Answer 16

The largest class of secondary metabolites (over 22,000 described)

(Rubber is the Largest Known Terpenoid)

Crotenoids are also tetraterpenes

Question 17

Essential oils - what do plants use them for?

Answer 17

• Herbivore deterrents
• Protection against fungi and bacteria
• Attract pollinator
• Allelopathy (the chemical inhibition of one plant (or other organism) by another, due to the release into the environment of substances acting as germination or growth inhibitors.)

Question 18

Allelopathy

Answer 18

The chemical inhibition of one plant (or other organism) by another, due to the release into the environment of substances acting as germination or growth inhibitors.

Question 19

Non-volatile chemical

Answer 19

the termnonvolatilerefers to a substance that does not readily evaporate into gas under existing conditions. In other words, anonvolatilematerial exerts a low vapor pressure and has a slow rate of evaporation

Question 20

What type of metabolite is the crotenoids?

Answer 20

Secondary: Terpenoids: Crotenoids

Question 21

Shikimic Acid Pathway

Answer 21

מסלול החומצה השיקמית הוא מסלול מפתח ליצור של ח.א. ארומטיות.

אם פוגעים במסלול הזה בצמחים, הצמח ימות (כי זה PRIMARY MATABOLISM).
לכן חומר שיפגע במסלול הזה לא יהיה רעיל לבנ”א.

Question 22

חומצה השיקמית

Answer 22

המקור ל3 חומצות אמינו ארומטיות

Question 23

איפה נמצא מסלול החומצה השיקמית?

Answer 23

plants, fungi and bacteria

Question 24

Herbicide

Answer 24

a substance that is toxic to plants, used to destroy unwanted vegetation.

Question 25

Roundup

Answer 25

Roundup (Glyphosate) is a broad- spectrum systemic herbicide (a substance that is toxic to plants, used to destroy unwanted vegetation.) used to kill weeds that targets the Shikmic acid pathway

Roundup ready are transgenic plants that are roundup resistant