Advertisement

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Biochemistry

C&EN En Español

Infografias Periodicas: La química de la floración vegetal

El profesor de química y bloguero de Compound Interest Andy Brunning explica la química de las flores y sus colores y aromas

by Andy Brunning, special to C&EN
April 23, 2021 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 99, Issue 9

 

A three-column infographic focusing on various aspects of flower chemistry. 

The first column examines what makes plants bloom. Plants flower when they detect environmental signals, such as changes in day length and temperature. The substance that triggers flowering is known as florigen. For decades, it was a hypothesized substance, but recent research has identified a protein, flowering locus T, that travels from leaves to a plant's shoots and helps initiate flowering.

The second column looks at the pigments that give flowers their color. These pigments come from three families. Most red, blue, and purple flowers get their color from anthocyanins. Carotenoids are responsible for red to yellow hues in some flowers. Some flowers in the Caryophyllales order get their red and yellow colors from betalains. 

The third column examines flower aroma. Flower petals emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to deter herbivores and attract pollinators. These aroma compounds come from three key chemical classes. Terpenoids are derived from isoprene and are often the most abundant VOCs. Green leaf volatiles are derived from fatty acids and are also emitted by leaves. Phenylpropanoids are a range of aromatic compounds synthesized from phenylalanine.
Credit: Andy Brunning

Para descargar el pdf de este artículo.

Referencias usadas para crear esta infografía:

Choi, Charles Q. “A Blossoming Field of Research: How Florigen Is Transported to Create Flowers.” PLOS Biol. (April 2012). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001311.

Des Marais, David L. “To Betalains and Back Again: A Tale of Two Pigments.” New Phytol. 207, no. 4 (Sept. 2015): 939–41.

Grotewold, Erich. “The Genetics and Biochemistry of Floral Pigments.” Annu. Rev. Plant Biol. (June 2006). DOI: 10.1146/annurev.arplant.57.032905.105248.

Una colaboración entre C&EN y Andy Brunning, autor del blog de los famosos gráficos de Compound Interest (compoundchem.com)

Para ver todas otro articulos de C&EN en español, visita cenm.ag/espanol.

La versión original (en inglés) del artículo está disponible aquí.

 

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

0 /1 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.