Induction of Secondary Chemical Defenses

 

Lawrence S. Blumer

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2007, Volume 28

Abstract

The production of chemical toxins is a common anti-herbivore defense. In some species, the synthesis or localization of defense chemicals is induced by leaf damage. Consequently, the feeding by an herbivore induces the prey plant to increase its defenses to make itself less vulnerable to future attack. In this study, we evaluate the inducible responses of tobacco, Nicotiana alata. Three questions are addressed: Do tobacco plants produce leaf toxins? Does herbivore damage induce increased leaf toxicity? Does physical damage alone yield the same response as herbivore damage? Leaf toxicity will be assessed using a simple brine shrimp bioassay.

Keywords:  bioassay, plant-herbivore, plant toxin

Purdue University (2006)