Plants Manage Cellular Damage Related to Weather
Chloroplasts are microscopic structures in plant cells that convert sunlight into sugars to help plants grow. But under harsh weather conditions, these tiny chemical factories may malfunction, damaging the plant. A new study reports that plant cells can target and destroy errant chloroplasts.
Scientists knew that the plant cell’s nucleus sent out occasional signals to destroy chloroplasts, but this is the first time researchers have demonstrated that the cell could target individual chloroplasts. The findings, which appear in the journal Science, could help researchers develop hardier crops that withstand climate change.
Source: New York Times
Tue 27 Oct 2015 at 08:16