Signal Transduction and Plant Physiology

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to signal transduction and plant physiology.

Ca2+

A key factor that controls polymerisation and movement within cells, playing a vital role in signaling.

Signal Transduction

The process that couples a stimulus to a response, involving a receptor, a transduction process, and a response mechanism.

Second Messenger

Molecules that amplify internal biochemical signals and transfer signals to the response mechanism.

Stomata

Hydraulic valves in the leaf epidermis that permit CO2 entry for photosynthesis and are regulated by guard cells.

Guard Cells

Cells that surround stomata and regulate their size to balance CO2 intake and water loss.

Abscisic Acid (ABA)

A potent stimulus for stomatal closure, synthesized in roots during drought conditions.

Jaffe’s Laws

Principles governing the relationship and timing between stimulus, second messenger, and response in signaling.

Ion Channels

Pores with regulated gates that allow ions such as K+ and Cl- to move across cell membranes.

Solute Movement

The regulation of ion transport and solute gain/loss across the membrane, crucial for controlling stomatal function.

Closure Memory

The phenomenon where guard cells 'remember' changes in [Ca2+] that influence stomatal response.