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Pages:
2 pages/≈550 words
Sources:
3
Style:
APA
Subject:
Life Sciences
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 7.92
Topic:
Plant Chemical Adaptation
Essay Instructions:
Assignment Details
Plant Chemical Adaptations
Physical adaptations are one way plants adjust to specific environmental conditions. For example, cacti have spines in place of leaves to prevent water loss in the arid conditions of the desert. Chemical adaptations are another means for plant protection. Many plants produce toxic or noxious compounds to protect themselves from insects or animals that would eat them, to reduce competition from other plants, or even to change the response of pollinators. Humans often harvest these compounds for their own benefit. Watch this video for help with completing the assignment.
Read this article on the search for useful plant compounds
Read this article on the less-than-beneficial uses of plant products
Choose 1 of the following compounds:
Caffeine
Cocaine
Nicotine
Answer the following for the compound you chose in the form of a 1–2-page paper.
Describe the compound and in what plant(s) it is found.
Explain how this compound provides protection for the plant.
Does the compound provide any other benefits for the plant, such as enhanced pollination?
What effect does the compound have on humans?
Utilize at least 1 credible source to support the arguments presented in the paper. Make sure that you cite appropriately within your paper, and list the reference(s) in APA format on your Reference page.
Formatting guidelines: In accordance with APA formatting requirements, your paper should include Title and Reference pages; should be double-spaced; and should include a running head and page numbers. Your paper should be 1–2 pages in length, not counting the Title page, and Reference page.
* Video Link: https://player(dot)vimeo(dot)com/video/581339873
* Article 1 link: https://www(dot)scientificamerican(dot)com/article/mother-natures-medicine-c/
* Article 2 link: http://mentalfloss(dot)com/article/55372/addictive-drugs-are-actually-pesticides
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Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid which belongs to a group of compounds found in many plant species. However, it is most concentrated in the leaves of the coca plant (Erythroxylum coca). These plants are indigenous to South America, notably zones such as the Andes where they have been grown and utilized medically, ritually, and pleasurably for an era by the native population. Cocaine plays an important chemical role for some plant species, like the coca plant, in addition to which the protective function of the drug shows the interdependence of interaction between plants and their surroundings (Isenschmid, 2020). Nevertheless, the same neurochemical that provides defense to plants is hazardous to human and poses major threats to human health and society proving the complex connection between ecological adaptation and societal issues concerning psychoactive substances.
The main role of cocaine in coca plants is to be the chemical defense mechanism against herbivores and pests. Cocaine is a bitter-tasting compound and is poisonous to many insects and animals which could otherwise feed on the plant. The chemical disincentive aids in the coca plant being not consumed and enable it to survive in its natural habitat (Isenschmid, 2020). Meanwhile, for humans, cocaine is particularly well-known its strong stimulant effects on the central nervous system. Upon ingestion or in...
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