groundbreakers
10 facts on ...
ETHYLENE
Ethylene ( not to be confused with its more famous cousin ethyl alcohol ) is the simplest of plant hormones . In fact , it is the simplest of the double-bonded carbon compounds , the alkenes .
THE CHEMICAL FORMULA of ethylene ( a gas at room temperature ) is C 2H 4 . Two carbon atoms are double-bonded together ( like this : C = C ), with each carbon atom having two attached hydrogen atoms . by Philip McIntosh
ETHYLENE IS A problem when it comes to shipping produce from farm to point of sale . Plants often release the gas during transit which can lead to greatly shortened shelf life .
AS FAR AS BIOLOGICALLY active organic molecules go , six atoms is about as small as it gets . Despite its diminutive size , ethylene has a significant effect on plant growth and development .
PLANTS SENSE ETHYLENE in the environment by using protein receptors inside the cell . One way to inhibit the ethylene response is to occupy the receptors with a structurally similar but non-bioactive compound .
ETHYLENE IS
SOMETIMES used commercially to speed up the development of flowering in some plants , leading to earlier fruit production .
ETHYLENE ’ S EFFECT on plants has been observed since ancient times . The list of activities is large , and includes roles in leaf abscission , seed germination , root hair formation , pollination , gravitropism , and many others .
THE MOST WELL-KNOWN
function of ethylene in plants is in fruit ripening . Plants release ethylene as fruits ripen , and this stimulates the production of more ethylene , which makes the fruit ripen even more .
WE CAN THANK ethylene for the old saying “ one bad apple spoils the whole bunch .” It was noticed long ago that the presence of an overripe apple causes neighboring apples to ripen faster , maybe even too fast . Ethylene at work .
WANT TO EXPERIMENT with the effects of ethylene ? Place an old banana peel next to a plant and look for a response .
162 groundbreakers