BIOL 1902 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Phytoestrogens, Caffeine, Astringent
27 Feb 2016
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Document Summary
Structural elements (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, etc. ) make plant tissues hard to digest. Other non-structural plant defences: tannins = astringent, plant secondary metabolites (made by plant for defence, terpenoids taste bitter, asters contain alkaloids. Alkaloids found in caffeine, morphine, cocaine, nicotine. Insect growth hormones: mh = moulting hormone = ecdysone, jh = juvenile hormone, larva 1st stage --------> larva 2nd stage ---> pupa ---> adult. Rock polypody (fern) loaded w/ moulting hormones = phytoecdysones. Balsam fir contains phytojuvenile hormone: phytoecdysones make insectss mature too quickly & die, insects that eat plant w/ phytojuvenile hormones don"t mature, mess up animal"s reproductive system by creating phytoestrogens, e. g. Red clover if sheep ate it, they may go infertile, have miscarriages: very nasty side effects, e. g. St. john"s-wort if animal ate it, phototoxins migrate near skin of animal, Phototoxins make skin highly sensitive to uv damage.
