BBC - GCSE Bitesize Science - Plants and micro-organisms : Revision, Print

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Plants and micro-organisms

Plants can use a range of defences to fight off pathogens. Some of the defences, such as quinine, can be used by humans. When plants are attacked by pathogens it can have a devastating impact on the food chain. Many plants use the length of the day to control the way in which they grow and reproduce.
Plant defences against microorganisms Plants, like humans, are also attacked by pathogens[pathogen: Microorganism that can cause disease. ]. Two well-known examples of plant infections are Dutch elm disease and tobacco mosaic virus . Dutch elm disease is a fungal [fungal : Relating to a fungus.] disease that first appeared in the UK in the 1920s. It is spread by the elm bark beetle. The disease was able to kill many elm trees that had not managed to evolve a resistance [resistance : The opposition in an electrical component to the flow of electricity through it. Resistance is measured in ohms. ] to it. The disease is thought to have originated in Asia, before it made its way to Europe and North America. A particularly aggressive strain took hold in the 1960s. It had a devastating impact - both in the UK and across Europe. By the end of the 20th century very few mature elm trees remained.

Dutch Elm disease: beetle tracks in elm wood

Tobacco mosaic virus was the first plant virus to be discovered (in 1930). However, the effects of this virus on the tobacco plant were well known for decades before its discovery. It attacks the leaves making them mottled or discoloured.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_edexcel/control_systems/plants_microorganisms/revision/print/[10/21/2013 8:24:03 PM]

BBC - GCSE Bitesize Science - Plants and micro-organisms : Revision, Print

The effects of tobacco mosaic virus

Plants do not have white blood cells and cannot produce antibodies[antibody: A protein produced by the body's immune system that attacks foreign organisms (antigens) that get into the body. ] to fight infection. However, they can produce some substances to defend themselves. These include several substances which humans have identified and we now use for our own purposes: quinine is a substance produced by cinchona trees it has been used to treat malaria aspirin is produced by willow trees - it reduces pain and fever The cost of plant infections Infections of plants can have a devastating impact on the food supply. Potato blight Potato blight is a fungus-like organism that attacks potatoes and some tomato plants. Its spores[spore: A unit of asexual reproduction in some organisms. ] live on the parts of plants that survive underground during winter (these parts are called tubers). The disease can destroy entire crops. The leaves of plants become blotchy before mould appears on them. Then all parts of the plants become covered in the infection and rot away. Potato blight was one of the factors that caused over one million Irish people to starve to death between 1845 and 1857 during the Irish Potato Famine . The cause of the Irish Potato Famine In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Rice blast A fungus is responsible for rice blast which is found in over 80 countries. Lesions [lesion : Damage to a tissue caused by disease or injury. ] appear on the leaves and shoots of rice plants, flowering heads rot, and fewer seeds are produced. Each year, the disease causes massive waste. It is thought to destroy a quantity of rice equal to the amount that could have fed over 60 million people. Scientists are currently researching the possibility of producing strains of genetically-modified [genetically-modified: An organism that has been modified by humans through the introduction of useful genes from a different species. ] rice plants that are resistant[resistant: Opposing something, or fighting against it. Many strains of bacteria have become resistant to types of antibiotics, which means that it is more difficult to kill them. ] to rice blast.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_edexcel/control_systems/plants_microorganisms/revision/print/[10/21/2013 8:24:03 PM]

BBC - GCSE Bitesize Science - Plants and micro-organisms : Revision, Print

Rice Blast

Photoperiodicity and circadian rhythms Many plants detect and respond to changes in the length of daylight to control their growth and reproduction. This is called photoperiodicity . This process helps plants to flower and reproduce, germinate [germinate: When a seed sprouts into a small plant. ], grow roots and shoots, and drop their leaves at the appropriate time.

Effects of sunlight on plant growth

Animals and plants also live by circadian rhythms. These are almost 24-hour cycles. Plants use these cycles to close their flowers at night and rotate [rotate : To spin on an axis. ] their leaves towards the Sun during the day. Animals, including humans, use circadian rhythms to regulate sleeping and feeding patterns, as well as hibernation and migration (eg the Eastern North American monarch butterfly). Jet lag is the result of circadian rhythm disruption.

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize Science - Plants and micro-organisms : Revision, Print

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_edexcel/control_systems/plants_microorganisms/revision/print/[10/21/2013 8:24:03 PM]