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Plant Ecophysiology > glossary > Flashcards

glossary Flashcards

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1
Q

abaxial

A

located on the side furthest from the axis, e.g., the lower side of a leaf

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2
Q

abiotic

A

not directly caused or induced by organisms

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3
Q

absorbance

A

fraction of radiation incident on a surface that is absorbed

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4
Q

abscisic acid (ABA)

A

phytohormone (15-carbon compound that resembles the terminal portion of some carotenoid molecules) involved in stress responses; its name is derived from its involvement in leaf abscission; it reduces cell expansion and causes stomatal closure

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5
Q

acclimation

A

increased tolerance to stress and/or improved plant performance as a result of structural and physiological adjustment by individual plants to specific environmental conditions

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6
Q

accumulation

A

build-up of storage products resulting from an excess of supply over demand; also termed interim deposition

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7
Q

acidifuge

A

avoiding acid soils; with a preference for a substrate that does not have a low pH

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8
Q

active (or reactive) oxygen species (ROS)

A

hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide radicals (O2-), and hydroxyl radicals (OH-), the compounds can casue cell damage, but are also involved in signal transduction

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9
Q

active transport

A

transport of molecules across a membrane against an electrochemical gradient through expenditure of metabolic energy

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10
Q

acyanogenic

A

not releasing cyanide

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11
Q

adaptation

A

evolutionary adjustment of the genetic basis of a trait that enhances the performance in a specific environment

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12
Q

adaxial

A

located on the side nearest to the axis, e.g.,the upper side of a leaf

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13
Q

adsorption

A

binding of ions or molecules to a surafce (e.g., of a soil particle or a root)

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14
Q

advection

A

net horizontal transfer of gases

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15
Q

aerenchyma

A

tissue with large spaces that facilitate transport of gases in plants

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16
Q

agglutinin

A

synonym for lectin

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17
Q

albedo

A

fraction of the incident short-wave radiation reflected by a surface (typically plant cover or bare soil or rock)

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18
Q

alkaloid

A

secondary plant compound (often toxic), characterized by its alkaline reaction and a heterocyclic ring (e.g., nicotine, caffeine, and colchicine)

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19
Q

allelochemical

A

secondary metabolite, released by living plants or decomposing plant litter that (either negatively or positively) afect other organisms

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20
Q

allelopathy

A

suppression of growth of one plant by another of a different species due to the release of toxic substances

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21
Q

allocation

A

proportional distribution of products or newly acquired resources among different organs or functions in a plant

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22
Q

alternative oxidase

A

mitochondrial enzyme catalyzing the transfer of electrons from ubiquinol (the reduced form of ubiquinone) to O2

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23
Q

alternative pathway (of respiration)

A

nonphosphorylating electron-transport pathway in the inner membrane of plant mitochondria, transporting electrons from ubiquinol (the reduced form of ubiqinone) to O2, catalyzed by alternative oxidase

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24
Q

amphistomatous

A

with stomata at both the adaxial (upper) and abaxial (lower) sides of a leaf

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25
amylase
starch-hydrolyzing enzyme
26
anion
negatively charged ion
27
anisotropic
not equal in all directions; for example, the longitudinal walls of anisotropic cells have different chemical and biophysical properties from those of radial walls
28
anoxia
absence of oxygen in (part of) a plant's environment
29
annual
species with a life cycle of less then a year; the short life cycle can be environmentally or developmentally determined
30
antiport
co-transport of one compound in one direction coupled to transport of another compound (mostly H+) in the opposite direction
31
apatite
Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F); it accounts for 95% of the total P in igneous rock, and it constitutes a major substrate for weathering, which releases inorganic phosphate for plants and microogranisms
32
apoenzyme
enzymatic protein that requires a coenzyme to function
33
apoplast (=apoplasm)
space in a plant's tissue outside the space enclosed by plasma membranes (symplast); it includes the cell walls and the dead tisssues of the xylem
34
apoplastic (=apoplasmic) phloem loading
transport of assimilates from mesophyll to the sieve tubes of the phloem occurring partly through the apoplast
35
aquaporin
water-channel protein in a membrane
36
arbuscular mycorrhiza
a type of mycorrhiza that forms arbuscules (highly brances exchange structures) withing cortical cells of the root
37
assimilation
incorporation of an inorganic resource (e.g., CO2 or NH4+) into organic compounds (in the case of CO2 assimilation also used as a synonym for photosynthesis)
38
ATPase
enzyme catalyzing the hydrolysis of ATP, producing ADP and Pi; the energy from this hydrolysis is used to pump protons across a membrane (e.g., plasma membrane, tonoplast), thus generating an electrochemical gradient
39
ATPase/ATP synthase
enzyme complex in the inner membrane of mitochondria and the thylakoid membrane of chloroplasts catalyzing the formation of ATP, driven by the proton-motive force
40
autotoxicity
deleterious effect of a chemical compound released by plants of the same species
41
autotrophic growth
increment in mass, volume, length, or area of plants or parts thereof which depend on carbon fixed in photosynthesis by the growing organism itself (...see heterotrophic growth)
42
autotrophic respiration
respiration by autotrophic plants and their associated mycorrhizas and symbiotic N2-fixing structures (..see heterotrophic respiration)
43
auxin
phytohormone (indole-3-acetic acid) invloved in growth promotion and meristem differentation; the name literally means enhancing and is derived from its growth-promoting action; there are also synthetic auzins
44
avoidance
plant strategy of resisting adverse conditions by preventing deleterious effects of these conditions, e.g., winter seed dormancy
45
bacteroid
state of rhizobia after they have penetrated the root and the symbiosis has been established
46
bark
tissue with both a protective (outer bark) and transport (inner bark) function; inner bark consists of secondary phloem that carries sugars, amino acids, and minerlals from a source to a sink
47
biennial
species whose individuals typically live for two growing seasons, vegetative growth in the first year and continued growth and seed production in the second year; several species known as biennals can, however, have an extended vegatative period (monocarpic perennial), others are strictly biennial
48
biomass
mass of plants (and other living organisms)
49
biomass density
dry mass of plant tissue per unit of fresh mass or volume (in the first case, the presence of intercellular air spaces is not taken into account)
50
biotic
caused or induced by organisms
51
biotic filter
biotic interactions, which eliminate species that would otherwise have survived the abotic environment of a site
52
blue-light receptors
two classes of photoreceptors, cryptochromes and phototropins, that absorb in the blue region of the spectrum; the receptors are involved, e.g., in the perception of irradiance and the directional component of light and thus affect photomorphogensis
53
bolting
rapid extension of the flowering stalk
54
boundary layer
thin layer of air, water, or soil around the leaf or root with reduced mass transport and increased reliance on diffusion for transport processes, conditions differ from those further away
55
boundary layer conductance/resistance
conductance/resistance for transport of CO2, water vapour, or heat between the leaf surface and the atmosphere measured across the boundary layer
56
Bowen ratio
the ratio between sensible heat loss and heat loss due to transpiration
57
bulk density
mass of dry soil per unit volume
58
bulk soil
soil beyond the immediate influence fo plant roots (see boundary layer)
59
bundle sheath cells
cells surrounding the vascular bundle of a leaf
60
C3 photosynthesis
photosynthetic pathway in which the first step of CO2 assimilation is the carboxylation of RuBP by Rubisco; the first product is phosphoglyceric acid (PGA), a 3-carbon intermediate
61
C4 photosynthesis
photosynthetic pathway in which the first step of CO2 assimilation is the carboxylation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) by PEP carboxylase during the day; the first product is oxaloacetic acid (OAA) a 4-carbon intermediate
62
calcicole
species with a preference for calcareous or high-pH soils
63
calcifuge
species that typically occupies acidic soils and is absent from calcareous or high-pH soils
64
callose
b-(1-3)-polymer of glucose, synthesized in sieve tube elements of the phloem in response to damage, sealing of the sieve tubes; callose is also produced in other cells upon microbial attack, thus providing a physical barrier
65
calmodulin
ubiquitous Ca2+ binding protein whose binding to other proteins depends on the intracellular Ca2+ concentration; component of signal-transduction pathways
66
Calvin cycle (Calvin-Benson cycle, carbon reduction cycle)
pathway of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation beginning with carboxylation of RuBP by Rubisco
67
canopy conductance/resistance
conductance/resistance for transport of CO2, water vapour, or heat between the plant canopy and the atmosphere measured across the boundary layer of the canopy
68
carbamylation
reaction between CO2 and an amino group; in many species, Rubisco is activated by carbamylation, catalyzed by Rubisco activase
69
carbonic anhydrase
enzyme catalyzing the interconversion of HCO3- and CO2
70
carboxylate
organic acid minus its protons
71
carboxylation
binding of a CO2 molecule to a CO2-acceptor molecule
72
carboxylation efficiency
initial slope of the CO2-response curve of photosynthesis
73
carotenoid
accessory photosynthetic pigment; carotenoids of the xanthophyll cycle play a role in dissipation of excess energy
74
carrier
protein involved in ion transport across a membrane
75
caruncle (=strophiole)
an outgrowth of a seed coat, near the hilum; preformed weak site in the seed coat
76
casparian band/strip
waxy suberin impregnation on the radial and transverse wall of endodermis and exodermis cells that renders the wall impermeable to water
77
cation
positively charged ion
78
cavitation
breakage of a water column in a xylem conduit due to air seeding
79
cellulose
structural polymer of glucose; major component of plant cell walls giving tensile strength
80
cell wall
structural matrix surrounding plant cells; part of the apoplast
81
cell-wall elasticity
reversible changes in cell-wall dimension
82
cell-wall extensibility
irreversible extension of cell walls, due to structural changes
83
chaperones
group of stress proteins that are encoded by a multigene family in the nucleus; chaperones bind to and stabilize an otherwise unstable conformation and, thus, mediate the correct assembly of other proteins
84
chelate
compound that combines reversibly, usually with high affinity, with a metal ion (e.g., iron, copper, or calcium)
85
chelator
cation-binding organic molecule, such as citric acid, malic acid, and phytosiderophores
86
chemiosmotic model
theory accounting for the synthesis of ATP driven by a proton-motive force
87
chilling injury/tolerance
injury caused by exposure of plants or tissues to low temperatures (< 0C); tolerance of such temperatures
88
chitin
polymer of N-acetylglucosamine; component of the exoskeleton of arthropods and the cell wall of fungi, but not of plants
89
chitinase
chitin-hydrolyzing enzyme that breaks down cell walls
90
chlorenchyma
tissue containing chloroplasts
91
chlorophyll
green pigment in the photosynthetic membrane (thylakoid) involved in light capture as the first step in photosynthesis

Plant Ecophysiology (6 decks)

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