The elements which are simple consisting mainly plants - carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, calcium, phosphorus, etc.. - Does not differ from animals, fungi or bacteria. The fundamental atomic compounds in plants are equal to other life forms, differing only in detail how they are grouped.
Despite this similarity underlying plants produce a wide variety of chemicals with unusual properties they use to cope with their environment. Plants use the pigments to absorb or detect light, whereas humans the extract for use as dyes . Other products are used to make rubber or biofuel , but perhaps the best known are the use of drug , such as salicylic acid (aspirin), morphine or digitalis . The pharmaceutical industry spends billions each year in the investigation of plant compounds for potential medical benefits.
The pigments are among the most important molecules for the operation of the plant. Represent a variety of different types of molecules that are between the porphyrins , carotenoids and anthocyanins . All biological pigments selectively absorb some wavelengths of light while reflecting others. The plant can use the absorbed light to enhance certain chemical reactions , while the reflected light determines the color of the pigment to be displayed to view.
The chlorophyll is the primary pigment, is a porphyrin that absorbs red wavelengths and reflecting blue green, and it is precisely the presence and abundance varying characteristic which gives green plants. It is also that, by intercepting the light encourages photosynthesis.
The carotenoids are tetraterpenoides red, orange or yellow. They function as accessory pigments helping to stimulate photosynthesis by gathering wavelengths have been absorbed by chlorophyll.
The anthocyanins are flavonoids shown soluble pigment red or blue depending on pH . They occur in all tissues of higher plants, giving color to the leaves, stems, roots, flowers and fruits, but not always in sufficient quantities to be noticeable.
The betalains are red or yellow pigments and, as anthocyanins, are soluble but, unlike these, are compounds indole -synthesized derivatives of tyrosine . Such pigments are found only in the order Caryophyllales (including cactus and Amaranthus ) and never agree on plants that contain anthocyanins. Are responsible, for example, the deep red beet ( Beta vulgaris ) and are used commercially as food dyes. Physiologists are not sure of the function they perform in plants that contain them, but some preliminary evidence that could claim to have fungicidal properties.
Plants produce hormones and other growth regulators that act to indicate a physiological response in their tissues. Also produce compounds such as phytochrome , which are sensitive to light and serve to activate the growth or development in response to environmental signals.
[ edit ] Plant Hormones
Main article: Phytohormones .
Phytohormones are chemicals that regulate plant growth. According to a standard definition of the animal world, the hormones are signaling molecules produced in specific locations that occur in very low concentrations and cause altered processes in specific cells in other locations. Unlike animals, plants lack of organs or tissues that produce hormones, which often are not transported to other parts of the plant, or its production is limited to specific locations.
These hormones are chemicals that in small amounts, stimulate and influence the growth, development and differentiation of cells and tissues. They are vital to the growth-affecting processes ranging from flowering to seed development, dormancy and germination. Regulate which tissues should grow up and which down, the formation of leaves and stem growth, development and ripening and the abscission leaf and even plant death.
The most important plant hormones are abscisic acid (ABA), auxin , ethylene , gibberellin and cytokinin , although there are many other substances that serve to regulate plant physiology.
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