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Plant Pathology and Microbiology Publications Plant Pathology and Microbiology
2008
An Overview of Plant Defenses against Pathogensand HerbivoresBrian C. FreemanIowa State University
Gwyn A. BeattieIowa State University, [email protected]
Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/plantpath_pubs
Part of the Agricultural Science Commons, Agriculture Commons, Botany Commons, PlantBiology Commons, and the Plant Pathology Commons
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This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Plant Pathology and Microbiology at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in Plant Pathology and Microbiology Publications by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository.For more information, please contact [email protected].
An Overview of Plant Defenses against Pathogens and Herbivores
AbstractPlants represent a rich source of nutrients for many organisms including bacteria, fungi, protists, insects, andvertebrates. Although lacking an immune system comparable to animals, plants have developed a stunningarray of structural, chemical, and protein-based defenses designed to detect invading organisms and stop thembefore they are able to cause extensive damage. Humans depend almost exclusively on plants for food, andplants provide many important non-food products including wood, dyes, textiles, medicines, cosmetics, soaps,rubber, plastics, inks, and industrial chemicals. Understanding how plants defend themselves from pathogensand herbivores is essential in order to protect our food supply and develop highly disease-resistant plantspecies.
This article introduces the concept of plant disease and provides an overview of some defense mechanismscommon among higher plants. A close examination of plant anatomy is presented, as well as some of theecological relationships that contribute to plant defense and disease resistance. Special care has been taken toillustrate how products used in everyday life are derived from substances produced by plants during defenseresponses.
DisciplinesAgricultural Science | Agriculture | Botany | Plant Biology | Plant Pathology
CommentsThis article is from The Plant Health Instructor (2008), doi:10.1094/PHI-I-2008-0226-01 . Posted withpermission.
This article is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/plantpath_pubs/94
