Articles
Vol 10 (2024): Special Postgraduate Issue ICUAP
ACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS IN PLANTS: A DEFENSE MECHANISM AGAINST HERBIVORES
Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Agrícolas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
Escuela de estudios superiores Jicarero, Universidad Autónoma del Estados de Morelos,
Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Agrícolas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
Abstract
Herbivory is a natural process in which animals consume plant tissues. In this situation, plants have developed different adaptive strategies to reduce the consumption of their tissues. For example, the formation of thorns and the production of chemical compounds are defense mechanisms that plants have developed to cause injuries, adverse effects on herbivores such as damage to their digestive system or death. There is a group of plants that has evolved to accumulate toxic elements such as heavy metals from their environment, some of which do not have any metabolic function in plants. However, they accumulate them in their different tissues such as the root, stem and leaves, which has been useful to reduce the attack of herbivores. Therefore, the accumulation of heavy metals in plants has been a viable defense strategy due to the reduced energy expenditure needed to transport these elements to the leaves of the plants.
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