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phytochrome

phytochrome

9.9
A substance in plants that senses light and helps them grow and develop
  • noun
  • /ˈfaɪtəˌkroʊm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fitocromo
  • Scientists have found that phytochrome is essential for plants to detect and use sunlight effectively.
  • phytochrome-mediated elongation
  • phytochrome-mediated
  • phytochrome-mediated stem

Examples

  • The phytochrome in plants helps them respond to changes in light conditions.

  • Conversely, phytochrome-deficient mutants of Brassica rapa constitutively expressing the elongated phenotype had lower fitness relative to the plastic wild type at low density.

    Academic text (2000)
  • They soon isolated the pigment, which would be named "phytochrome."

    Academic text (2001)
  • Two are blue-light cryptochromes and five are phytochromes, which respond best to red or far red light.

    Academic text (2005)
  • And so there are phytochromes, phyto being plant chromic proteins that can absorb red light and far red light.

  • These responses, which are mediated by phytochrome A, include seedling germination and de-etiolation in response to brief pulses of very dim light.

    Academic text (2000)
  • In the 1950s came one of BARC's many landmark accomplishments: the discovery and isolation of phytochrome, the biological pigment that controls flowering and many other processes.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Evidence suggests that phytochrome could mediate the production of AS transcripts of SPA3 in response to some light conditions, thus promoting plant photomorphogenesis (Shikata et al. 2014).

    Academic text (2017)
  • For example, Schmitt et al. (1995) tested the adaptive value of phytochrome-mediated stem elongation responses to neighbors using genetically modified plants lacking these plastic responses.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Research shows that phytochrome plays a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development.

Surface Forms

phytochrome singular
phytochromes plural

Morphology

phytochrome = phyto + chrome (semi-transparent) = phyto + chrome

The word is a clear compound of 'phyto' (plant) + '-chrome' (colour/pigment) but both components are specialized combining forms unfamiliar to average learners.

Etymology

Phytochrome comes from two Greek parts: phyto- meaning 'plant' and -chrome meaning 'colour', like in monochrome. It is literally a 'plant colour' — a pigment that changes with light so plants can tell day from night and the seasons and grow at the right time.