It's All About Chemistry

[lovemarie]

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[Heathcliff]

How Plants Communicate With Each Other



~The fluorescent sensor protein provides information on the calcium ion concentration in mitochondria in real time. Blue indicates low, green, medium and red, high concentrations.

A team of researchers led by scientists from the University of Bonn has discovered a basis of communication in plant cells: The 'MICU' protein controls the calcium ion concentration in the cellular power stations. Using these chemical signatures, the plants regulate, for instance, the formation of organs and react to water stress. The results may be used in the future to optimize agricultural crops. The journal The Plant Cell reports on the results in its current issue.

Plants react to stimuli from their environment by specific responses: If available water becomes limiting, they curb evaporation from their leaves. If a pathogen attacks, they arm themselves with chemical weapons. If a soil fungus wishes to collaborate with a plant root for mutual benefit, both partners discuss their duties. "All of these fine adjustments require a great deal of communication between the individual compartments of the plant cell," says Dr. Markus Schwarzlaender, principle investigator of an Emmy Noether group at the Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation at the University of Bonn.

When the various components of plant cells communicate with another, they do not use words but calcium ions, i.e. positively charged calcium atoms, instead. "The information is encoded in the fluctuations of the calcium concentration of the various cell compartments," explains Dr. Schwarzlaender. How can a single ion contain and transduce so much information? This is the question scientists have been asking themselves since it became known how various cell compartments 'chat' with each other.


~The 'MICU' protein is a central relay station

Investigating the cellular power stations (mitochondria) of thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), the scientists discovered that the 'MICU' protein fulfills a central role in the control of the calcium ion concentration in the mitochondria.

~Fluorescing cellular power stations provide information

By destroying the gene with the MICU blueprint in the Arabidopsis genome, the researchers were able to experimentally explore what influence the protein has on the calcium communication of the plant cells. They equipped the mitochondria with a fluorescing sensor protein. Using the variable fluorescence intensities of the sensor, it was possible to visualize changes in the calcium concentrations of the cellular power stations in the living plants. "We were able to identify a clear influence on the communication of the mitochondria," reports Dr. Wagner. Knockout of the MICU gene resulted, among other consequences, in modified properties of cell respiration.

Since Arabidopsis is considered to be an experimental model for plants in general, the findings may be usable in the future for optimizing crops. Looking ahead the researchers note that if, for example, specific plants could be taught to ally themselves with nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria via modified calcium signals, a large amount of fertilizer used in agriculture may be saved.


credits to the original source of the experiment ~ University of Bonn, College of Chemical Biology

[lovemarie]

As a postdoctoral researcher, Wald discovered that vitamin A was a component of the retina. His further experiments showed that when the pigment rhodopsin was exposed to light, it yielded the protein opsin and a compound containing vitamin A. This suggested that vitamin A was essential in retinal function.

In the 1950s, Wald and his colleagues used chemical methods to extract pigments from the retina. Then, using a spectrophotometer, they were able to measure the light absorbance of the pigments. Since the absorbance of light by retina pigments corresponds to the wavelengths that best activate photoreceptor cells, this experiment showed the wavelengths that the eye could best detect. However, since rod cells make up most of the retina, what Wald and his colleagues were specifically measuring was the absorbance of rhodopsin, the main photopigment in rods. Later, with a technique called microspectrophotometry, he was able to measure the absorbance directly from cells, rather than from an extract of the pigments. This allowed Wald to determine the absorbance of pigments in the cone cells (Goldstein, 2001).

*wikipedia

[jamesbond]

Briggs-Rauscher Reaction

http://youtu.be/Ch93AKJm9os

The Briggs-Rauscher reaction is a well known example of oscillating chemical reactions, also known as chemical clocks because the periodicity can be used to tell time. What's going on in the beaker is actually quite a complex set of chemical reactions

[naruto789544]

the explanation for the process of the photocopying machine was great... now i know what really is happening inside that machine... nice share mam @lovemarie   

[lovemarie]

These 3 Liquids Do Not Mix With Each Other, The Reason Behind This Is Really Simple – Know How

Long ago, because of the curiosity of our ancestors, they discovered new things that we are now enjoying. The curiosity of man will really bring to new learnings about things around. Anyone heard about densities of liquid? During school days, we surely encountered that in lessons. Density simply is the thickness of something.

Now, famous Youtube channel, DaveHax have shared a video showing a simple experiment of different densities of liquid substances at home. He used syrup, water and oil. Also, he dropped different items to test the densities of the substances.

Watch this cool and simple experiment showing different densities of substances at home. Amazing!

https://youtu.be/Z50jEi1igNQ


credits to the source

[jamesbond]

nice update mam... there are things that don't blend well pala talaga... fascinating....

[naruto789544]

that is so cool mam @lovemarie... science would definitely be easier if being teached this way...

[lovemarie]

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[naruto789544]

hehehe... now it's becoming technical.... it's just like studying again just to follow the chart...

[jamesbond]

Photosynthesis Is a Reaction To Make Food



Plants apply a chemical reaction called photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide and water into food (glucose) and oxygen. It's one of the most common everyday chemical reactions and also one of the most important, since this is how plants produce food for themselves and animals and convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.