Week 6 - Plants, People and Computational Biology Flashcards
(26 cards)
What do plants provide ?
Food (grains, vegetables, fruits)
Materials (wood, fibers)
Fuel (heating, biofuels)
Chemicals (waxes, rubber, dyes)
Medicine (herbs, pharmaceuticals)
Bioremediation (cleaning pollutants)
Oxygen (vital for life)
Which 4 plant families stand out as key targets of domestication?
- Poaceae (cereal)
- Fabaceae (legumes and pulses)
- Cucurbitaceae
- Amaranthaceae
Out of 400,000 plant species how many do we regularly consume ?
200
What are the 3 most significant crops?
Maize
Rice
Wheat
What are secondary metabolites ?
Compounds not directly involved in growth or reproduction (vs. primary metabolites: sugars, amino acids, lipids).
What is the function of secondary metabolites?
Defense against herbivores/pathogens; attraction of pollinators; UV protection; allelopathy.
What secondary metabolite does coffee produce?
Caffeine
Which secondary metabolites does tea produce?
Catechins (for flavour) and theanine ( for health benefits).
Which secondary metabolites do onions produce ?
Sulfur-containing compounds for defence and distinctive taste.
What secondary metabolites are produced by brassicas?
Glucosinolates – deterrent and toxicity for most
insects (antifeedant)
How does nicotine act as a defence chemical for its plant and where is it produced?
Produced in the roots
Nicotine is a defence chemical that protects the plant (Nicotiana tabacum, tobacco) against herbivores (animals that eat plants).
The saliva of a larvae from biting the plant triggers nicotine production to increase in the plant
What is a Neonicotinoid?
Is a pesticide that kill bees and work effectively
Its systemic nature means it moves into the nectar
Using this pesticide is slightly addictive meaning the bee will choose the neonicotinoid plants
How was curare used as a medicine?
Used in medicine as a muscle relaxant during surgery.
- works by blocking acetylcholine receptors at neuromuscular junctions, which stops muscles from contracting.
What is the green revolution ?
A period (mainly from the 1940s to the 1970s) when farming practices dramatically changed, leading to huge increases in food production worldwide.
What are some constraints of domestication ?
- Elite varieties
- Breeding
- Selection
- Genetic uniformity
What are germ plasm banks ?
A library of genetic diversity
What are germ plasm banks used for ?
Agriculture and conservation
What does basic plant science involve?
- Identify genes
- Phenotype to determine
function
What are the steps of reverse genetics?
- Identify genes in crops
- Perturb their function
- Phenotype yield traits
What is RNAi (interference) and what uses does it have in agriculture?
A natural defence against virus
Can be used to improve crops by targeting pests/diseases
What are some issues with the green revolution ?
Yield plateauing, genetic uniformity
Name some new technologies in plant sciences
Mutant screening and reverse genetics
Genomics, bioinformatics
Gene editing (CRISPR/Cas9)
GM crops and RNA interference (RNAi)
Synthetic biology
Name some Sustainable Agriculture Innovations
Agrivoltaics
Vertical Farming
Bioreactors:
What is agrivoltaics ?
Combining solar panels with farming (reduces water use and improves crop size)
