Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient for plant growth and most plants require 20-50 g of N taken up by their roots to produce 1 kg of dry biomass. Although N is one of the most abundant elements on earth, agricultural soils are deficient in N and thus, to sustain crops productivity soils require their […]
Many organisms, such as fungi and plants without seeds, produce spores as a dispersal mechanism. Spores are usually microscopic propagules, many of them are able to resist harsh environmental conditions and successfully germinate after a long period of time. We know that their size is so small (just a bunch of micrometers) that they can […]
Some plants have the capacity to develop tubers. Tubers are storage organs that serve as a survival strategy to better cope with adverse environmental conditions such as dry periods and cold. Tubers are sometimes also a means of asexual reproduction. In fact, tubers can persist in the soil during unfavorable conditions and generate a new […]
This article is focused on a recent paper [PDF] written by Jo Day from the Department of Classics of the University College Dublin exploring the links between botany and archaeology using case studies from ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Archaeology is more associated with the discovery of tombs and ancient human remains than with plants. However, the […]
There is a strong tendency to consider that every scientific or technical solution to a particular problem is irrefutable. Nowadays, scientific and technological knowledge usually eludes public criticism and even we have seen how important government decision making were made by the so-called technocrats . We often forget the contingency of this knowledge, the fact […]
Seed germination can be defined as the restart of growth of the embryo of the mature seed. Germination depends on the same environmental conditions as vegetative growth does, water and oxygen must be available, the temperature must be suitable and there must not be inhibitory substances present. However, it is common that even in favorable […]
18th of May is the “Fascination of Plants Day”. This is the second year that this initiative takes place. The “Fascination of Plants Day” is coordinated by the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO), an independent academic organization that represents more than 226 research institutes, departments and universities from 30 countries. Many different activities are being […]
Maples rely on wind, upward currents, and gusts to spread their seeds over long distances that can reach several kilometers. Maple seeds are able to autorotate because their center of gravity, determined by the position of the nut, is located at the base of the wing-shaped seed. It has been observed that, despite their small […]
Carbohydrates are molecules composed of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. They are formed of at least three atoms of carbon. Monosaccharides are the simplest carbohydrates and they cannot be hydrolyzed to smaller carbohydrates. Among the monosccharides we find glucose or fructoses which are formed of six atoms of carbon or glyceraldehyde which is composed of three […]