Question

Write essay on secondary plant metabolites and their rules

Answer 1

Physiology and foraging behavior of herbivores are partially governed by the presence of chemical defenses, or secondary metabolites (SMs) in plants. Many species of plants produce SMs that can inhibit the growth of microbes, fungi, and other plants and typically have negative physiological and behavioral consequences following ingestion by animals; hence they are often referred to as defenses. SMs ingested by animals can cause loss of weight and failure of organs, alter metabolic rates, reduce digestibility of nutrients, compromise the expenditure of energy and even result in death, depending on the type and amount of SM consumed (Cheeke and Palo 1995; Dearing et al. 2005; Sorensen et al. 2005c; Froberg et al. 2007).