Botany

synteny

closely related species having homologous chromosomes

examples of artificial mutation for plant breeding

use of UV, chemicals or genome editing

landraces

old varieties of crops

germplasm

bank of genetic resources

introgression

transfer of genes from one species to another

cisgenic

when a gene is transferred into a different plant of the same species

transgenic

when a gene is transferred from another species

transposons

pieces of parasitic DNA which copy and paste around genomes

features of a model organism

small, easy to grow, self-pollinating, are not crop species

genome

the DNA sequence of all of the chromosomes in an organism

vernalisation

the prolonged exposure to cold that promotes flowering in annual winter plants

biome

an area classified according to the species that live in that location

niche differentiation

when competing species use the environment differently to coexist without outcompeting each other

primary metabolites

main organic compounds of metabolism that are essential for plant life

secondary metabolism

intermediate organic compounds not directly involved in the normal growth, development or reproduction of an organism

consequences of absence of secondary metabolites

long term impairment in plant fecundity, survivabilty, or aesthetics

why is primary and secondary metabolism well regulated?

plant needs to save energy, co-factors are often in low amounts, and some intermediates are toxic

why are plants so chemically diverse?

they are sessile, they cannot move to evade herbivory, pathogens or stress so they adapt chemically

why are synthetic preparations/extracts the most common way to administer drugs from plants?

plants may be rare or inaccessible, the dose needs to be controlled and there is a possibility of identity issues

2 functions of transpiration

provides the force for lifting water up the stems, cools the leaves

3 plant adaptations to arid environments to prevent transpiration (loos of water)

reduced leaf size, sunked stomata, thick cuticle, rolled leaves and hairs