Plant physiology

thumb|right|250px|Glucosinolate structure; side group R varies. Glucosinolates are natural components of many pungent plants such as mustard, cabbage, and horseradish. The pungency of those plants is due to mustard oils produced from glucosinolates when the plant material is chewed, cut, or otherwise damaged. These natural chemicals most likely contribute to plant defence against pests and diseases, and impart a characteristic bitter flavor property to cruciferous vegetables.

elongated cell in the phloem tissue of flowering plants

thumb|Wilted flower of Tigridia pavonia thumb|Time lapse video of flower wilting

splitting at maturity along a built-in line of weakness in a plant structure in order to release its contents, and is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia

part of a lychens

type of ice that forms on dead wood and takes the shape of fine, silky hair

thumb|right|Common rock-rose forming low mats on shell limestone and sandy soil of the Saupurzel, a limestone hill in [[Bavaria]] Calcicoles—literally "lime‑dwellers"—are organisms, most commonly vascular plants but also including bryophytes, lichens and other taxa, that grow preferentially on calcium-rich, often alkaline, substrates. Because they grow only on specific lime-rich soils, calcicoles give ecologists a clear, real-world example of how soil chemistry determines where organisms can live. Their distribution on chalk, limestone and other calcareous rocks reflects a suite of physiologic

thumb|Diagram of a four membraned plastid containing a nucleomorph Nucleomorphs are small, vestigial eukaryotic nuclei found between the inner and outer pairs of membranes in certain plastids. They are thought to be vestiges of red and green algal nuclei that were engulfed by a larger eukaryote. Because the nucleomorph lies between two sets of membranes, nucleomorphs support the endosymbiotic theory and are evidence that the plastids containing them are complex plastids. Having two sets of membranes indicate that the plastid, a prokaryote, was engulfed by a eukaryote, an alga, which was then e

thumb|right|upright=1.8|Illustration of sleep movements in Medicago leaves, from [[Charles Darwin's The Power of Movement in Plants (1880)]]

Pyrophytes are plants which have adapted to tolerate fire.

range of adaptations evolved by plants which improve their survival and reproduction by reducing the impact of herbivores; plant defensive strategies (defensive traits) to defend against damage caused by herbivores

Ecophysiology (from Greek , oikos, "house(hold)"; , physis, "nature, origin"; and , -logia), environmental physiology or physiological ecology is a biological discipline that studies the response of an organism's physiology to environmental conditions. It is closely related to comparative physiology and evolutionary physiology. Ernst Haeckel's coinage bionomy is sometimes employed as a synonym.

thumb|American beech (Fagus grandifolia) in winter thumb|Oak (Quercus) with marcescent foliage right|thumb|Typical partial marcescence on a mature beech (Fagus sylvatica) tree thumb|Red oak (Quercus rubra) leafing out before dropping marcescent leaves Marcescence is the withering and persistence of plant organs that normally are shed, and is a term most commonly applied to plant leaves. The underlying physiological mechanism is that trees transfer water and sap from the roots to the leaves through their vascular cells, but in some trees as autumn begins, the veins carrying the sap slowly close

thumb|Raphides in Epipremnum ''Devil's ivy (600× magnification) Raphides ( ; singular raphide or raphis'') are needle-shaped crystals of calcium oxalate monohydrate (prismatic monoclinic crystals) or calcium carbonate as aragonite (dipyramidal orthorhombic crystals), found in more than 200 families of plants. Both ends appear needle-like, but raphides tend to be blunt at one end and sharp at the other.

movement in plant structures occurring over a very short period, usually under one second

defense mechanisms used by plants, tarantulas, and caterpillars

In plant biology, elicitors are extrinsic or foreign molecules often associated with plant pests, diseases or synergistic organisms. Elicitor molecules can attach to special receptor proteins located on plant cell membranes. These receptors are able to recognize the molecular pattern of elicitors and trigger intracellular defence signalling via the octadecanoid pathway. This response results in the enhanced synthesis of metabolites which reduce damage and increase resistance to pest, disease or environmental stress. This is an immune response called pattern triggered immunity (PTI).

The salicylic acid mediated response to a pathogen which confers broad spectrum resistance.

thumb|Calcium oxalate needles shot out from idioblast (600x magnification)

A calcifuge is a plant that does not tolerate alkaline (basic) soil. The word is derived from the Latin 'to flee from chalk'. These plants are also described as ericaceous, as the prototypical calcifuge is the genus Erica (heaths). It is not the presence of carbonate or hydroxide ions per se that these plants cannot tolerate, but the fact that under alkaline conditions, iron becomes less soluble. Consequently, calcifuges grown on alkaline soils often develop the symptoms of iron deficiency, i.e. interveinal chlorosis of new growth. There are many horticultural plants which are calcifuges, most

Tannosomes are organelles found in plant cells of vascular plants.

Torulene (3',4'-didehydro-β,γ-carotene) is a carotene (a hydrocarbon carotenoid) which is notable for being synthesized by red pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum), imparting the natural red color to the aphids, which aids in their camouflage and escape from predation. The aphids have gained the ability to synthesize torulene by horizontal gene transfer of a number of genes for carotenoid synthesis, apparently from fungi. Plants, fungi, and microorganisms can synthesize carotenoids, but torulene made by pea aphids is the only carotenoid known to be synthesized by an organism in the animal kingdom

right|thumb|Mimosa pudica in normal and touched state.

Phototropins are blue light photoreceptor proteins (more specifically, flavoproteins) that mediate phototropism responses across many species of algae, fungi and higher plants. Phototropins can be found throughout the leaves of a plant. Along with cryptochromes and phytochromes they allow plants to respond and alter their growth in response to the light environment. When phototropins are hit with blue light, they induce a signal transduction pathway that alters the plant cells' functions in different ways.

Use of Magnesium by organisms

Phytofluene is a colorless carotenoid found naturally in tomatoes and other vegetables. It is the second product of carotenoid biosynthesis. It is formed from phytoene in a desaturation reaction leading to the formation of five conjugated double bonds. In the following step, addition of carbon-carbon conjugated double bonds leads to the formation of z-carotene and appearance of visible color.

thin layer of ice extruded from a plant

thumb|right|Strawberry anther with parallel thecae In biology, a theca (: thecae) is a sheath or a covering.

respiratory increase at the onset of ripening in some fruits

elongated, tube-shaped intercellular spaces surrounded

plants that can grow in low light conditions

list of plants with the same or similar names

Assimilate nitrogen from inorganic nitrogen

form of tree bark damage

Effect of Pollen grains inside Embryo sac i.e Endosperm -> Yellow colour.

thumb|Inosculated branches drawn by Arthur Wiechula (19th century) thumb|right|Beech tree trunks conjoined Inosculation is a natural phenomenon in which trunks, branches or roots of two trees grow together in a manner biologically similar to the artificial process of grafting. It customarily results when tree limbs are braided or pleached. The branches first grow separately in proximity to each other until they touch. At this point, the bark on the touching surfaces is gradually abraded away as the trees move in the wind. Once the cambium of two trees touches, they sometimes self-graft and gro

thumb|right|Fire has caused minimal damage to this Banksia serrata (saw banksia) fruiting structure, but has triggered the opening of the follicles and the release of seed.

divergence of the stem and limbs of a plant into smaller ones

ability of plants to sense and respond to the environment

plant defense mechanism against wood-decay pathogens

annual state for some plants and animals

parts of plant cell walls which allow the exchange of fluids

wax coating on the plant cuticle

plant able to produce heat

the ability to which a plant maintains its biomass production during arid or drought conditions

Fusicoccins are organic compounds produced by a fungus. It has detrimental effect on plants and causes their death.

life process in plants

process of aging in plants

infection defense in plants

large class of natural compounds

Signaling molecule

A stromule is a microscopic structure found in plant cells. Stromules (stroma-filled tubules) are highly dynamic structures extending from the surface of all plastid types, including proplastids, chloroplasts, etioplasts, leucoplasts, amyloplasts, and chromoplasts. Protrusions from and interconnections between plastids were observed in 1888 (Gottlieb Haberlandt) and 1908 (Gustav Senn) and have been described sporadically in the literature since then. Stromules were recently rediscovered in 1997 and have since been reported to exist in a number of angiosperm species including Arabidopsis thalia

Biopolymere

plant leaf with one single, unbranched leaf vein

detachable tip found on the pinnules of some species of Acacia and closely related genera

communication between plants and other organisms

group of crystals of calcium oxalate, silicates, or carbonates present in plants

process by which an organism prepares for cold weather

thumb|Rhododendron (Nature's thermometers) In plant biology, thermonasty is a nondirectional response to temperature in plants. It is a form of nastic movement, not to be confused with thermotropism, which is a directional response in plants to temperature. A common example of this is in some Rhododendron species, but thermonasty has also been observed in other plants, such as Phryma leptostachya. Flower opening in certain crocus and tulip species is also known to be thermonastic. These movements are thought to be regulated by having unequal cell elongation in certain plant tissues, causing di

plant cell ability to expand quickly at low pH