Chemical ecology

Chemical ecology is study of interactions among organisms, and between organisms and their environment, that involve specific molecules or groups of molecules termed semiochemicals that function as signals to initiate, modulate, or terminate a variety of biological processes. Molecules that serve in such roles typically are readily diffusible organic substances of low molecular mass that derive from secondary metabolic pathways, but also include peptides and other natural products. Chemical ecological processes mediated by semiochemicals include ones that are intraspecific (occurring within a species) or that are interspecific (occurring between species).^[1] A variety of functional subtypes of signals are known, including pheromones, allomones, kairomones, and attractants and repellents.

Focal points

Some major focal points in the field of chemical ecology include:

• Production of signals and response to them in allelopathy whereby organisms influence the germination, growth, survival, or reproduction of other organisms through their production of allelochemicals;Template:October 1988
• Chemical communication among social insects, including ants, bees, wasps, and termites;
• Prey-predator interactions, such as between herbivores and plants, plants and insects, etc.
• Intracellular and intraorganismal processes that are nevertheless interspecific, e.g., in cases of commensal and symbiotic relationships;
• Chemical signaling in bacteria via histidine kinase-mediated two component signal transduction systems, systems that function both intraspecifically (e.g., in chemotaxis and quorum sensing) and interspecifically (e.g., in pathogenesis and virulence responses);
• Defensive chemicals that deter potential predators or pathogens, e.g., in antibiotic excretion by bacteria, plant defense against herbivory, etc.;
• Chemical agents that mediate plant-pollinator interactions, e.g., relying on floral scent, colour, etc.;
• Other interspecific physiological responses in response to potentially antagonistic organisms;^[2]
• Chemical responses to abiotic factors in the organism's environment, including temperature, humidity, sunlight and other forms of radiation.^[3]

Related fields

See also

References

4. Putnam, A.R. (1988). "Allelochemicals from Plants as Herbicides" Weed Technology. 2(4): 510-518.

Further reading

• Berenbaum MR & Robinson GE (2003). "Chemical Communication in a Post-Genomic World [Colloquium introductory article]". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100 (Suppl 2; November 25): 14513. doi:10.1073/pnas.2335883100. Retrieved 22 March 2017. . This and two additional short papers accessed through this article link introduce a collection of reports based on the Arthur M. Sackler Colloquium of the National Academy of Sciences, entitled the same as this article. All of the colloquium articles are available via this introductory article link. (The colloquium was held at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Science and Engineering in Irvine, California, on 17-19 January 2003.)
• Wajnberg, E & Colazza, S (2013). Chemical Ecology of Insect Parasitoids. Blackwell. CS1 maint: Uses authors parameter (link)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chemical ecology.

• A new antibiotic in African ants putatively protective of insect-fungi symbiosis through control of bacterial infections
• Insect Olfaction of Plant Odour
• International Society of Chemical Ecology
• "Search: Chemical ecology reviews". PubMed. U.S. National Library of Medicine.