Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- Chapter One The integrative roles of plant secondary metabolites in natural systems
- Chapter Two Natural selection for anti-herbivore plant secondary metabolites
- Chapter Three Temporal changes in plant secondary metabolite production
- Chapter Four Mixtures of plant secondary metabolites
- Chapter Five The herbivore’s prescription
- Chapter Six Volatile isoprenoids and abiotic stresses
- Chapter Seven Atmospheric change, plant secondary metabolites and ecological interactions
- Chapter Eight The role of plant secondary metabolites in freshwater macrophyte–herbivore interactions
- Chapter Nine The soil microbial community and plant foliar defences against insects
- Chapter Ten Phytochemicals as mediators of aboveground–belowground interactions in plants
- Chapter Eleven Plant secondary metabolites and the interactions between plants and other organisms
- Chapter Twelve Integrating the effects of PSMs on vertebrate herbivores across spatial and temporal scales
- Chapter Thirteen Plant secondary metabolite polymorphisms and the extended chemical phenotype
- Chapter Fourteen From genes to ecosystems
- Chapter Fifteen Asking the ecosystem if herbivory-inducible plant volatiles (HIPVs) have defensive functions
- Chapter Sixteen Dynamics of plant secondary metabolites and consequences for food chains and community dynamics
- Index
- Plate Section
- References
Chapter Six - Volatile isoprenoids and abiotic stresses
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- Chapter One The integrative roles of plant secondary metabolites in natural systems
- Chapter Two Natural selection for anti-herbivore plant secondary metabolites
- Chapter Three Temporal changes in plant secondary metabolite production
- Chapter Four Mixtures of plant secondary metabolites
- Chapter Five The herbivore’s prescription
- Chapter Six Volatile isoprenoids and abiotic stresses
- Chapter Seven Atmospheric change, plant secondary metabolites and ecological interactions
- Chapter Eight The role of plant secondary metabolites in freshwater macrophyte–herbivore interactions
- Chapter Nine The soil microbial community and plant foliar defences against insects
- Chapter Ten Phytochemicals as mediators of aboveground–belowground interactions in plants
- Chapter Eleven Plant secondary metabolites and the interactions between plants and other organisms
- Chapter Twelve Integrating the effects of PSMs on vertebrate herbivores across spatial and temporal scales
- Chapter Thirteen Plant secondary metabolite polymorphisms and the extended chemical phenotype
- Chapter Fourteen From genes to ecosystems
- Chapter Fifteen Asking the ecosystem if herbivory-inducible plant volatiles (HIPVs) have defensive functions
- Chapter Sixteen Dynamics of plant secondary metabolites and consequences for food chains and community dynamics
- Index
- Plate Section
- References
Summary
Introduction
Plants produce thousands of chemicals that are not recognised as primary or basic metabolites (i.e. necessary for the survival of the cells). These secondary metabolites usually only occur in special, differentiated cells and are not necessary for the cells themselves, but may be useful for the plant as a whole. Plants at different taxonomic levels (family, genus, species) produce a characteristic mix of secondary metabolites that can be utilised as characters in classifying plants. Both primary and secondary metabolism overlap (Gershenzon et al., Chapter 4) and it is often not understood why a certain compound is produced.
Secondary metabolites can be classified on the basis of their chemical structure, composition, solubility in various solvents or the pathway by which they are synthesised. Three main groups are recognised: isoprenoids (composed almost entirely of carbon and hydrogen); phenolics (made from simple sugars, containing benzene rings, hydrogen and oxygen); and nitrogen-containing compounds (extremely diverse, may also contain sulfur).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Ecology of Plant Secondary MetabolitesFrom Genes to Global Processes, pp. 101 - 119Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012
References
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